Kidnapped
by Writing4YourLove
Summary: It's been 30 years since the rebellion and so far everything is going fine. Well, it is until Katniss and Peeta's daughter and son are kidnapped, mutated, and forced to participate in a new and "improved" version of the Hunger Games. (Complete)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note- This is my first ever fanfiction and your (Constructive) criticism is hugely appreciated. So please Read and Review. If you like this chapter I'll continue it. Anonymous reviews are also greatly appreciated! This probably isn't perfect, so I apologize for any grammer/spelling errors in advance.**

**Love you all and please enjoy; Writing4YourLove**

**Chapter one;**_ in which there is a kidnapping, the seeing of a bright light, and a big needle._

I wake up to a scream. My brother Chase, I'm nearly certain, but why? I roll out of bed and just pull on the first thing I see before going to see what happened. It's probably nothing, maybe a nightmare scared him?

I hurry down the hall and to his room. The door's locked. I hear sounds of a struggle inside and just as I start to feel across the top of the doorframe for the skeleton key I know is hidden there, but before I can retrieve the key something grabs me from behind. I try to scream but there's a thick, sinewy hand covering my mouth. I struggle as hard as I can to get out of the person's grip but I'm not nearly strong enough. Why couldn't I hear whoever it is coming? Where are mom and dad?

Suddenly there's a low whisper in my ear. "If you make a single noise I'll shoot you," It's a man, strong. My head's pressed against his chest and I can feel cold metal against my temple. He drags me down the stairs and out the door before shoving me in the back of a car. The back is separated into two parts; almost like dog crates but I couldn't see the other side from my place on the right. The door in front of me shuts and I can't see anything but darkness. Pretty soon I hear something on the other side of the wall but I have no idea what.

For the next few hours there's absolutely no speaking anywhere. There are some bumps and I think I heard some cursing once or twice on the trip. I don't have anything on but shorts and a sweatshirt, I'm barefoot so, even if I do escape, there's no chance of running. I'd have to depend on some random bystander to help me and I'm not very good at asking for help or depending on other people.

Throughout the whole time of the trip one question truly nagged at my mind; where were my parents? Mom is a very light sleeper; she would've heard Chase's scream, but she didn't come to see what happened. She should've. She's always been really overprotective. And where was my cat, Nightberry? He would normally freak out if there were other people in the house, but he didn't make a sound.

When the door in front of me opens the sunlight practically blinds me. I close my eyes against the light as a pair of hands grabs me. Whoever it is gags me, ties my wrists up, and puts a blindfold on me. As I'm pulled along I feel small stones embedding themselves into my feet until the ground becomes smooth. It's still stone though and I'm pretty sure it's concrete, but I can't be sure. I'm pushed up a few steps and then there's the sensation of moving upward. More walking then, a few steps then a sharp left, a door behind me closes and the blindfold is taken off and so is the gag just as I'm injected with something that makes me immediately drowsy. After whoever it is takes off the ropes around my wrists I'm already totally asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**First off, I'd like to thank FanasyBookGirl for reviewing and my little sister for pre-reading this second chapter. I know the last chapter was really short but it was kind of like when you dip your toe into the water before jumping in to see if it's too hot or too cold. My first chapter was like that, I was nervous you all may not like it so I 'tested the water' so to say. (Yeah, I'm totally insane, I know, I know.) Anyway, please read and review and also . . . please enjoy.  
>Your friend, Writing4YourLove<br>Oh, yeah, I do not own the Hunger Games, well, I own Chase and his sister, but none of the other stuff. Unless you count . . . nvm. I don't own the Hunger Games but I wish I did! If I did Finnick wouldn't have died. (Loved Finnick so much! Not like his Capitol fangirls but like a friend . . . like Katniss!)**

**Chapter two; **_in which there is searing pain, blood, and . . . feathers?_

I don't know how long I was asleep, but it must've been a while. I can't feel anything around me except the searing pain that covers my whole body. I have a migraine and all I want to do right now is die. I vaguely hear voices; I can only hear some of the conversation though.

"So far it's going well . . ." Says one voice then I can't hear some of what he says next. ". . . Changing . . . reaction to pain . . . organs changing to conform . . . high expectations . . ." What is he talking about? Organs changing? Pain reactions? And what kind of expectations?

"It's waking up. Sedate it before it decides to ruin all of our progress." A woman says this and I start feeling really sleepy again. The last thing I hear before I'm completely enveloped by the darkness is a third voice.

"If this all goes well the Capitol will finally have its revenge."

Over the next few days I fade in and out of consciousness. One time somebody came in and talked to me, but I don't remember what was said. Something about change, but almost none of it made sense because the person who came in was talking about lots of scientific things that I didn't understand because I never paid attention in biology class; it was something about birds and change. Most of the pain is gone, but there's still a constant throbbing all over my body.

I attempt to sit up and find that I'm not restrained. I look around; I'm in a room that contains a couch, a bed, a dresser, and two doors. One, I assume, leads to a bathroom. I'm in the bed and it's covered in dried blood. I look down at myself. There's blood covering my naked body. I pull my aching body off of the bed and open the door. My speculations were correct; the door does lead to the bathroom. I get into the shower start scrubbing the blood off. Once I uncover my stomach I see strange blue scars. They seem to be in a pattern, but one that I couldn't possibly describe. I keep scrubbing the blood off of myself. I find more of the strange scars on my leg and I feel something soft on my back.

Once I'm done and I've gotten all the blood off of myself I look in the full length mirror. I see other scars on my back then and something else even stranger. I saw wings, soft, feathery, black wings. None of the patterns on the three different sections of my body are the same and none of them can really be described. Well, the one on my back looks a little like a bird with its long tail feathers going halfway down the inside of my left thigh. I stop staring at the scars and go to the dresser to get some clothes. I pick out a black sweatshirt, jeans, but I can't find any shoes. I look around for anything I could use as a weapon and come up with nothing useful.

I try the other door and find it's not locked. I quietly open it and find a hallway that has a number of doors down it. One is labeled 'D-12M' and one is labeled 'D-12DR.' the first one is the same as my room and the second is slightly open already. I peek in and find a table. At that table are a man and my brother. The man looks to be in his sixties, but I'm not sure, and Chase is only twelve.

"Come in," Says the man, noticing me for the first time.

I silently come in and hesitantly sit next to my brother. He looks fine, thankfully. "Hey," He smiles at me.

"Hello," I reply.

"It's been a while since I've seen you two." The man says, "You probably don't remember me, but I'm Haymitch, I was your," He grimaces, "Babysitter. How Katniss and Peeta convinced me to watch you brats is still a mystery to me."

"Oh," Chase's eyes flash sudden recognition. "You're our drunken babysitter. Yeah, I remember you a little, but you were always drunk." And he was nearly always passed out too, but Chase doesn't mention that.

"Well, now you're going to be sent into the arena, I trust that you know what the Hunger Games are?" He sounds slightly bitter and slightly regretful.

Both my brother and I nod. Our parents, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, we're both Victors.

"Good. Now, I'm sure you both know that your parents played in two of the Hunger Games, the seventy fourth and fifth. The Capitol is sending two teenagers from each district into the Games, as I'm sure you both know it's traditional." Chase opens his mouth to say something but Haymitch stops him, "Save the questions. Now, in these Games, they're taking anybody even remotely related to victors, one girl and one boy from each district and all that, and they're mutating them. They're mutating _you." _He says putting extreme emphasis on 'you.'

"That's why . . ." I don't finish my sentence. That's why I have the wings. I'm nearly certain.

Haymitch confirms my beliefs with a slight frown. "Yes. That is why you have the wings. You also have powers that you currently aren't able to access because the Capitol's afraid you'll use the powers against them."

"Then they must be pretty intelligent." I mutter.

Haymitch nods, "Yes. Now, they're sending you both into the arena tomorrow. They're letting us, the mentors, give you the choice to have an earpiece that will let me speak directly to you in the arena because you've had no option to go to training. I don't know anything about the arena and I'll only see what you see, but I think it would be a good idea. It's up to you though, remember, I'll be working with both of you on my own."

Chase and I glance at each other and respond simultaneously, "Yes."

"Good, now, one more thing, you have to follow my every order no matter how stupid it sounds."

Now this I have to consider. "What kind of stupid order?"

Chase kicks me under the table and glares at me. "He was mom and dad's mentor. Don't insult him."

"Oh?" I spit. "I wasn't insulting him! I have much more sense than _that! _I wouldn't insult my own mentor even if pigs started flying. And soon the very well may." Turn back to Haymitch. "I'll follow any order you throw at me."

"Good, sweetheart, now go to bed. It's already nine thirty. You need to be ready for tomorrow." He says evenly.

I obey. Once I reach my room I change into a tank top and sweat pants before climbing into bed. It felt like forever until I fall asleep. Nerves and homesickness were keeping me awake.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Alright, so I'd like to thank FanasyBookGirl, Ama118623, mchammer4, and my little sister. Now I really need to know this; how many words are in a good length chapter? I really need to know. Okay? And if you have any suggestions please tell me and please read and review. I heart you all! **

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah, I do not own the Hunger Game, but I wish I did (Love that Finnick Odair, as a friend, not lover. Too bad he died. . .) I **_**do**_** (Partially? Or does Suzanne Collins own them too? Because she wrote that they were born, so yeah. . .) I think I own Chase and his sister, Muscosa.**

**Please remember that I'm still a new author so I'm still learning how to do this all better.**

**Chapter three; **_in which there are doubts, mysteries, and unwelcome powers._

"Now remember, listen to me carefully in the arena," Haymitch says looking me directly in the eyes. "I'll tell you what you need to do, just trust me. And if something strange happens tell me. Do you remember how to talk to me?"

I nod, "I press the button on the earpiece. Then the volume is the dial on the top of the piece, right?"

"Exactly, now remember that. Okay?"

I nod. We're in a hovercraft waiting to arrive in the catacombs below the Arena.

"Are you okay?" Haymitch asks, worried.

"I'm just a little nervous." I reply softly, "Sorry."

"Now listen, if you weren't nervous, I'd say there's something wrong with you. It's a good thing you're nervous, it means you're human." But I'm not completely human anymore. Now I'm half bird and I don't even know what kind of bird. "And don't worry too much; I'll be there for you every step."

"Thank you, Haymitch." I say quietly, staring down at the metal floor. "This means a lot to me."

"It's no problem, sweetheart. Now I should go talk to your brother. Eat something and if you don't feel well enough to eat then drink lots of water. Got it?"

I nod.

"Good, now I'll be with your brother if you need me."

He leaves to council my brother then. I'm going to die, but, surprisingly, the only thing I really care about is keeping Chase alive. Maybe it's because I've never even laid eyes on the other tributes, or maybe this is what true family connection is; when you'll give your own life so the other could live.

I wonder if my parents know where Chase and I are. No, that's impossible; they would be here to save us if they knew. At least, I think they would, they'd have to. They'll know soon enough when the Hunger Games are broadcast across all of Panem. I'm going to be against twenty three other teenagers and one of them is my brother and they all have mysterious powers. I wonder what kind of powers I have.

_"We have clearance to land and will be in the Catacombs in approximately two minutes." _The guy who announces stuff on the plane announces.

I take a drink of water as the plane begins to descend, bringing me down closer to my death. As the hovercraft lands I'm lead out by peacekeepers and there's no sign of Haymitch. Once I'm in the room in the Catacombs for the district twelve female tribute a woman in a very fancy dress and lots of makeup comes in and helps put an earpiece on me.

"Be careful out there, Muscosa." She says, looking directly into my eyes.

"Who are you?" I ask in wonder as she starts trying to fix my hair which I've pulled back in a braid.

"I'm Effie Trinket; I was your parents' escort when they were in your place." I knew she seemed familiar. Mom talked about her all the time. "Now please, do be careful, Muscosa."

My head automatically tilts to the side at the sound of my first name, it's so strange, I'm the only person I've ever heard of named Muscosa. "Call me Rouge." Rouge is my middle name and it feels so much more like me. Muscosa makes me think of pink and girly, that's the opposite of me.

"Of course," She takes one of my wings and starts straightening my feathers. I pull it away. "You're so much like your mother, you know. She was a good, sweet girl just like you."

I want to ask her how she even knows me but I don't. Instead I say; "Thank you, Effie, and, if you ever see my parents, can you tell them I love them? I miss them so much, I never even got to say goodbye."

She gives me a short hug. "Poor girl," She shakes her head causing her midnight blue curls to bounce. "I'll tell them, don't worry."

An announcement came on then, _"All tributes step onto your plates; planning for departure in one minute." _

"I should be going now. Be careful, Rouge, I _must_ be going now. Goodbye for now and may the odds be _ever _in your favor!" Her Capitol accent is outrageous but she means the best. I've never liked the Capitol, in fact, I was raised to hate it, but it's become clear to me now that not everyone in the Capitol is bad, just the ones who run the Games.

_"Thirty seconds," _The announcer says.

I quickly go to my plate and get ready to be lifted into the arena.

_"Three," _I'm terrified; all of Panem will be watching my every movement. _"Two," _I'm starting to hyperventilate, _"One." _The plate begins to rise and my eyes immediately start to search my surroundings. The plate reaches the top and what I see amazes me.

**Yeah, I'm evil. I'm going to make you wait to see what the arena's like and what happens and all that. So please read and review! (OMZ it's so late right now! LOL! 3:35 AM where I am. Wow. I need to go to bed.)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.**

**Author's note: I'd like to thank everybody who has read and reviewed this story so far. I'd also like to thank my family for encouraging my writing. Also a big thank you to Jim Butcher who wrote an awesome Live Journal entry thing about how you can become a better author (He also wrote the Dresden Files, my dad says they're good books). Sorry it took me a while to update but I had some saxophone things going on. Anyway, I'm not going to go on forever so, please read and review and enjoy!**

**From the author of this story, Writing4YourLove**

**Chapter 4; **_in which you finally figure out what the arena looks like, there are unlikely alliances, and people die somewhere in the arena._

The arena, or at least what I can see of it from the metal plate I'm standing on, is covered with freshly fallen snow. The white powder glistens in the bright sunlight making a beautiful sight on the ground and in the trees. Soon the pure white snow will be covered in blood though, possibly Chase's, probably mine, and definitely some other tributes'.

_"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the seventy sixth Hunger Games!" _The announcer says giving us tributes sixty seconds to take in our surroundings.

I hear Haymitch's voice in my ear. _"Alright, sweetheart, run for the cornucopia. You grab what you need as fast as you can and fly out of there, I'll tell you what to do from there."_

Yeah, great idea only I don't know how to fly. That's what I wanted to say, but that wouldn't get on Haymitch's good side. Instead I press the button and reply softly, "No problem."

"_Good girl, now get ready to run." _

I set my sights on the giant golden Cornucopia that's been place in the center of the ring of tributes. It appears to be about forty yards from me, pretty easy to run that far but I'm not sure if I'll be able to outrun every tribute here. And with the flying, well, all I can do is hope it comes naturally.

The gong that announces the tributes won't be blown to pieces if the step off their plates sounds and I start running. The snow on the ground makes it hard to keep my feet from slipping and the flat-soled boots I'm wearing aren't doing anything but help keep my feet warm.

Soon, I hear somebody fall behind me, but I ignore it, if I turn around now I might lose my balance and fall too. Tripping right now could mean my death. I haphazardly try to stop in front of the Cornucopia and, through a brilliant display of luck, I manage to stay on my feet and grab a black backpack, a bow, and a quiver of arrows. I don't dare take time to sift through everything now; that would be like announcing that I have a death wish.

"_Fly," _Haymitch demands into my ear.

I throw my wings out and push down as hard as I can, wingtips brushing the snowy ground. After that the movements become natural, like I've been flying my whole entire life. The wind, which I'd assume was cold, is warm against my face, running through my hair. I look down at the scene below me. Tributes were fighting, and blood was spilling, staining the white forest floor. I should feel sick, should recoil at the sight of the blood, but all that I think when I see the scene is that I'm glad it's not me.

That's when something occurs to me. Where's Chase? I haven't seen him yet.

"_Keep moving, find a reliable water source, don't worry about your brother, he's fine." _Haymitch says as if reading my thoughts, but I'm pretty sure he could guess that I was thinking of Chase easily. It's not like I've kept it a secret that I care about my little brother. _"I'll get him to you as soon as possible."_

From my view in the sky I can't see any source of water besides the snow and, for all I know, that could be poisoned. I land in a clearing that has a kind of depression that looks as if it was formed by water but otherwise there was nothing. The line that runs to the depression is dry of anything but snow too. I press the button on my earpiece. "I can't find anything. No water source besides the snow." I sound exactly how I feel, annoyed and angry.

"_Alright, look again later then. Look through the backpack now, might be something helpful." _Haymitch replies in a measured voice.

I start through the backpack and find five hinting knives, an empty half-gallon water container, a small first aid kit, and matches. I slip two of the knives into my belt and put the rest back into the backpack.

It wasn't long before I was hungry again. I need to hunt. I'm not nearly as good as my mother, but I can hit most anything from a good distance and kill it. Of course, mom taught me everything I know, but I've caught plenty before to help the people who live in the Seam keep food on the table.

I walk silently through the woods, listening for the smallest sound of a squirrel or other game. Once I've caught a squirrel I hear something larger in the wood, footsteps too heavy to be a deer. I load my bow and aim it toward the noise, still listening intently.

"Sorry I sacred you," Said a voice that I cannot identify.

"Who are you?" I ask, "Show yourself."

"I'm Jayden Hart, the district one tribute." He says, stepping into my view. He has light brown hair and green eyes. "Would you mind not pointing that at me?"

"As soon as you tell me why you're here, I'll either shoot you or let you go." I say aiming precisely at his chest.

"_Be careful, I have reason to believe he's armed." _Haymitch says quietly. _"Don't let your guard down."_

"Okay, no problem, I'll explain." Jayden says, holding his hands up in surrender. "I need allies, I saw you shoot that squirrel and you were amazing. I want to form an alliance with you."

"_I'll leave that one up to you, you need allies too. The boy seems sensible enough. Just remember he does come from a Career district, don't let your guard down." _Haymitch advises me.

"Fine," I say evenly, "But I make all the calls and my brother is coming too whenever he shows up. You also must answer to me right now a few questions. One; are you armed?"

"No," He answers, "I was going to get a sword from the Cornucopia, but there were none so I grabbed a pack and left."

I nod tensely, not totally believing him. He could have a knife in that pack. "Alright, next, how old are you?"

He seems glad to hear the simpler question, "Turned seventeen last month; what about you?"

"I turned fourteen a few weeks ago," I reply coolly.

I see something flash through his eyes, sympathy I think, "Oh."

"Come on, you can make a fire and I'll finish hunting. If you even _think _about hurting me, I'm shooting you, and I never miss my target." I threaten, half terrified of the older boy in front of me and half thankful because I'm not sure how much longer I'd be able to stay alone without giving into fatigue. At least this way somebody can always be on watch not that I trust him that much yet.

"No problem," He says, "So, where have you set up camp?"

"This way," I reply, letting him fall in step with me as I lead him back to the clearing, unwilling to turn my back on him. It wasn't long before we reached the small clearing. Before I go back to hunting I ask Jayden one more question. "What kind of powers did you get?"

"I can turn into a wolf and have some kind of claw thing I can do. Like that wolverine guy on the X-Men." He winces slightly when the long claws slide out from between his knuckles. I step back some at the new weapons until he retracts them.

"What are the X-Men?" I shake my head, "Never mind, don't answer that. I'm going to hunt; we're going to need more than one squirrel. You get on that fire."

And with that I go off to hunt.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note; I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I'm moving tomorrow and it's been really hectic, that plus a really bad case of writer's block have made this really hard. Anyway, I'm sure you're sick of hearing about my problems, so please Read and Review! I LOVE REVIEWS! I know this chapter doesn't have much excitment, but, as I said before, I've been really busy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, but I wish I do . . .**

**Hope you enjoy, read and review,**

**Your friend, Writing4YourLove**

**Chapter 5; **_in which there is a dragon, a wolf, and death._

When I get back to the clearing I see a huge dragon in a battle-ready stance and a wolf bigger than me. The dragon is gold with a few brown scales hidden among the lighter ones, its teeth are all showing and there's a low growl emitting from its throat. The wolf is light brown, I'd guess it's Jayden, he did say he could turn into a wolf.

"What's going on?" I ask immediately loading my bow and aiming it at the dragon's eye, the only exposed soft spot on its body.

"He just showed up," Jayden responds in a low growl. "I have no idea what he's doing here, but he says he knows you. Who is he?"

The dragon's head turns toward me and he cautiously sniffs me. He makes a low sound that sounds like joy.

I hear Haymitch's voice in my ear, _"That, sweetheart, is your brother."_

"Chase," I say softly, unloading my bow and slipping the arrow back into the quiver, "Are you _really _the dragon?"

He gently nuzzles my shoulder before turning back to Jayden and growling threateningly.

I roll my eyes, "Please, Chase, he's an ally. And if he tries to hurt either of us again you have my total permission to rip him to shreds. Got it?"

Jayden turns back to human, "You just gave the dragon permission to kill me?" He sounds surprised and hurt.

I take Chase's muzzle in my hands and kiss his rough, scaly nose. "The dragon is my brother." I let go of Chase, "Human please. I think you're scaring our ally and any tributes within a mile of here."

He complies, "Nice to see you, Rouge," He smirks, "So, what do you think? I look pretty good as a dragon, don't I?"

"Yes, I'm so glad you're here." I give him a short hug. "It's getting late, somebody should make a fire." And just as I said it the pile of sticks and kindling is engulfed in flame.

"What just did that?" Jaden asks, watching both Chase and I carefully. "Because I doubt it was the Gamemakers."

Chase looks at me, "Maybe it was you, Rouge, I mean, you haven't figured out what your powers are." He takes my pack off my shoulder carefully and digs through it before pulling out one of the matches. "Light it on fire." He says simply.

"What? I can't!"

"Try," He says encouragingly, "Visualize the flame and just start it. You may want to try to draw from a highly emotional experience. It makes it a lot easier."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, focusing on the match and fire, I open my eyes and the flame appears there, leaving a tingly feeling in the sapphire blue scars over my stomach. Chase blows out the match just before it burns his fingers.

"Kind of ironic isn't it?" Jayden asks, "You being Katniss' daughter and able to control fire?"

"Well I don't know if I can control it yet, but I understand the irony, and I'm sure if the Capitol didn't cause this I'd find it funny." I reply dryly.

"So, you two are related?" Jayden asks, "I don't see too much family resemblance, I mean, there is some, but . . ." He trails off.

Of course, Jayden has a point. Chase and I look totally different. He has curly, blonde hair, grey eyes, and a stockier build while I have wavy, dark hair, blue eyes, and a smaller build. It's kind of hard to imagine we have the same parents but we do, he just takes after dad and I take after mom. "You'll just have to believe me on this one." I sigh.

Jayden half smiles but then shakes his head. "Anyway, I was-" He's cut off by the loud blast of a cannon that was followed by eight more. When they were done everything was silent, much too silent. The whole forest was still; even the birds seem to refuse to sing. "Nine dead," Jayden says softly after at least five minutes had passed and we were all sure there were no more. "That means fifteen are still standing. I wonder who died."

"We'll find out tonight," Chase sighs. "Eventually one of those cannons will ring for one of us." He looks up into the empty, darkening sky.

"And when it does it won't be for you." I step up and place a hand on his shoulder. "You'll win, Chase, I know you can."

He steps back, shaking his head. "I don't stand a chance, we both know that. If one of us wins it would be you."

"Whatever, let's finish this argument later, but when you make it out alive and I don't I'll be saying 'I told you so' in my grave." I roll my eyes, not willing to keep hearing my brother say this. It sounds as if he's giving up hope, and, at this point, hope is all any of us have. It's not my job to stand around bickering about dying with my brother, it's my job to protect him and get him back home alive and, hopefully, with all his major organs intact and functional. Of course, if it comes to the worst, he'd survive without a lung or a leg, maybe an arm or an eye even.

"Rouge," Chase whispers, tilting his head up so he's looking into the dark sky. "How do I put this lightly?" He looks back at me. "You'll die in the Arena when unicorns prance around the continent spreading happiness wherever they go." He rolls his eyes. "You underrate yourself."

"No, I just have a mission that results in my sacrificing myself for your wellbeing." I take a deep breath. "Alright, listen, Chase; let's talk about this some other time that is not right now when we're supposed to be sworn enemies."

"Deal," he says finally. "But you can't die for me until we come to the conclusion."

"Deal," I say, knowing it's not likely I'm going to get anything better out of him.

Jayden, who's been silent this whole time, finally speaks. "I wonder how many siblings are in this arena." When his question is met with Chase and my curious gazes he continues. "My sister is in the arena too. They pulled specific Victors' children. I'm certain of that. They told you guys about the descendants of Victors stuff right?"

"Yeah," Chase says, "to be honest, I'm kind of surprised they managed to get twenty four of us."

He has a point. Most Victors were killed in the Rebellion.

Jayden nods, "well, they never said there were two from each district. There are twenty four kids in the arena, but all twelve districts are not here. My sister and I were the only ones pulled from district one."

"So, what Victors are you related to?" Chase asks, obviously mentally comparing him to all the Victors he's seen or heard of.

"Johanna," he says, "and, get this, she was my great grandmother's sister."

"Wow," I look him over, "they really don't care _how_ indirectly related to them you are. At least Chase and I are directly related to Victors. That's just sad."

Jayden shrugs, "They were desperate."

The Capitol anthem begins to reverberate through the trees and I watch the sky, awaiting the pictures of the dead that are to appear. There's nobody I know, but there were six boys who died and three girls.

"Well," Jayden sighs, sadly once it's over. "I don't have an older sister anymore." He stares at the ground.

"I'm so sorry, Jayden," I whisper, still watching the now black sky.

"Just go to sleep," he says tiredly, "I'll watch out for anything else."

I start to protest but Chase pulls me over to where the sleeping bags have been set up. "Just let him be," he whispers, "he just lost his sister, let him grieve."

I sigh as I lie down, "you're right Chase." He's so much better than me. He actually manages to think of other first in life and death situations.

"G'night," he says, lying down next to me, falling asleep almost immediately.

"Night," I reply, watching Jayden. I spend a few hours trying to fall asleep but after about an hour I realize that it's hopeless. I carefully get up so Chase doesn't wake up and go over to where Jayden's sitting, head in his hands. I sit next to him against a tree silently, "I'm really sorry about your sister."

He slowly looks up at me, green eyes reflective in the moonlight. "You should be asleep." He says, looking directly into my eyes.

I shake my head, "I couldn't, I'm too nervous, I guess, homesick too."

"I understand," he sighs, voice wavering.

"Are you cold? You're shivering."

"Just a little," he rubs his hands together and I start pulling off my way-too-big jacket. "No, it's okay. Aren't you cold?"

"No," I respond easily, handing him the jacket. "Maybe it's some kind of side effect of the fire thing, but it's pretty warm to me."

He takes it and pulls it on over his own jacket. "Thanks," he says softly. "So, what's it like being the daughter of two Victors?" He asks, looking up into the sky.

"I don't know. Honestly, I only know that they were in the Games, dad was hijacked by the Capitol, and mom led the rebellion. I don't know the details or anything. Just what they taught in school," I sigh. "They said they'd tell me when I'm sixteen, but, as you know, that probably won't happen anymore."

He closes his eyes, "Rouge," he breathes. "You're going to get out alive. I'm going to make sure that both you and your brother make it out of here."

"No," I shake my head, "only one can make it out alive. Fourteen more have to die."

"Listen, I know how hopeless this seems, but I don't think getting both of you out is impossible. For some reason, I don't think the Capitol will like it if a brother and a sister have to fight each other to the death."

"The Gamemakers would kill us." I say quietly.

"Maybe the Capitol people wouldn't like that."

"The chances are a thousand to one. They watch children kill each other for entertainment. Who's to say they won't enjoy watching siblings wait for the other to kill them?" I rest my head back against the tree. "Never mind, if you're tired go to sleep. I'll keep watch."

"No, I'm not tired, I'll watch. You sleep." He says quietly.

I do and fall asleep almost immediately.

**Author's Note; thanks for reading. Again, read and review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Alright, so, here's the deal with the whole romance in the genre section. It's coming! I'm just working up to the fluffy, happy, moments, promise! Oh, sorry to Twilight fans everywhere for some of this chapter's contents. And this is rated T, but I'm not for sure what exactly would make it above that, in other words, PM me if you think the rating should be changed or something. I really don't want to get in trouble. I'm also tryingto keep from using curse words in my writing. Mostly because Suzanne Collins didn't. Oh and if you are a fellow Star Trek nerd; do you like Kirk, Pikard, or Janeway? PM me the answer, or leave it in the comments.**

**Chapter 6; **_in which there references to very nerdy things, Twilight jokes (Sorry Twilight fans), and a horrible announcement_

When I wake up, Chase is watching the woods silently. I sit up and stretch my arms out in front of me. "Hey Chase," I yawn. "Anything happen?"

"One cannon, but that's all. It was a little after four, according to the moon." He says, running his finger down the broad side of a knife. "Good morning, by the way. How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty well," I sigh, "you?"

"Same," he shrugs. "So, what's the plan?"

"Find a water source according to Haymitch. I got a view of the arena from above but I couldn't see anything. There may be something smaller that was covered by the trees, and there were depressions in the ground that appeared to have been rivers at one point." I say, tracing lines in the snowy ground. "The snow may be nontoxic, but we'd need proof to make sure it won't kill anybody."

Chase nods slowly, "you could let your friend try it." When he sees the astounded look on my face he smirks. "Oh, come on, I'm not that stupid. He likes you. I'm sure it wouldn't take too much to convince him to try it."

"No, he doesn't, Chase." I spit angrily. "He's from district one and, as you and I know very well, the Capitol would _not_ very well like it if tributes started kissing instead of killing each other."

"Mom and dad did that." He says, obviously suppressing a laugh. "They ended up pretty well."

"With endless problems and their children stuck in an arena?"

"The point is-"

I cut him off, unwilling to discuss the subject further. "No, Chase, the point is that there's no possibility that any of that's ever going to happen."

"But you don't deny that he likes you." He says victoriously. "And, if I'm not mistaken, you like him too."

"Chase," I sigh slowly. "Do I, all of the sudden, _look_ like Juliet to you?"

"Only if Juliet was the girl who never noticed all the guys in her grade, and a few other grades, stare at her when she's walking home." He says dryly. "You haven't noticed because you've been ignoring everything lately. So, what's going on?"

"Nothing you need to worry about." I snap. "I've just been too busy to worry about boys. I'm going into high school next year; I don't have time to date."

He raises his eyebrows ever so slightly, "then I guess, if you're so innocent, you wouldn't mind that I read your diary."

I falter, giving him the proof he needs to get an accurate assumption.

"Oh, yeah, forgot to mention, I can partially read your mind." He kind of half smiles, "never would've guessed, right? Oh, I didn't actually read your diary. I actually didn't even know you had one."

"Lucky guess," I mumble.

Suddenly there's an announcement broadcast through the arena. _"There is a new rule of the Hunger Games! Now, once all of the members of one family in the Arena are killed, the tributes' family will be executed. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor." _The announcement is followed by complete silence; silence of the tributes, the birds, and even the trees seem to be silent.

Chase meets my horrified gaze with one equally filled with terror. We both understand what this means for us. If we both die; our parents and grandmother die too.

The first sound after the announcement is crunching leaves from across the clearing. If I'd been paying attention to the world around me instead of the new information, I'd have probably shot Jayden. Luckily for him, and possibly my sanity, I was not paying attention to the forest when it came back to life from its seemingly shocked state.

Chase glances at Jayden but his eyes quickly return to mine. "Guess you heard that." He says, directing the comment toward Jayden but eyes still locked onto mine.

In my peripheral vision I see Jayden give a short nod. "Yes. It really makes you wonder who the real enemy is." He has a lot of nerve to speak ill of the Capitol when our every move is being closely monitored by them. But even if he's insane to say this out loud, we're all thinking it.

I nod, still holding Chase's gaze and he closes his eyes. The tension's starting to get to me. When I can't stand it anymore I finally speak. "Hey, Jayden," I say, barely audible. I break eye contact with my brother and look halfway at Jayden. "A ninth grade girl said she once went out with a guy from district one. She said those few weeks contained the best and nights of her life. Can't help but wonder what she meant."

Jayden's mouth twists up into a smirk and Chase lets out a light, small laugh.

I look directly into Jayden's eyes. "Hmm, strange, you smell really good right now." I lift my arm in a quick graceful movement and fake-gasp as the sunlight reaches my smooth, ivory skin. "I think I'm sparkling!"

Jayden suppresses a laugh and Chase looks about ready to fall apart.

I purposefully stumble back a few seconds. "I'm suddenly overcome by the urge to seduce boys who are centuries younger than me! Oh no! I'm a vampire from . . . Twilight!"

They're both laughing hard now, trying to keep it down but unable. "Finally," Jayden manages between fits of laughter, "a girl who gets how wrong Twilight is."

I decide to be serious again. "Yes," I say simply, "finally a guy who's willing to say that Twilight is stupid on live television." I half sing the next sentence. "Hope you don't have a Twilight fan girl girlfriend at home. She might not like it too much."

"I have no girlfriend. But if I wanted one I know where to look." He says as he looks me over approvingly.

I roll my eyes, "let me give you a hand." As I speak I feel Chase tense from a few feet away in anticipation. "Your future girlfriend is probably up in space somewhere."

"Sure hope she's betazoid," he sighs longingly. "I'd always wanted an empath to hang out with. Of course, I wasn't talking about alien girlfriends, Will Riker can take care of that, I'd prefer to stick to my own species."

If he wants to play this way, I can too, "then good luck trying to find another big, glorified puppy dog like yourself. Maybe, if you're really unlucky, they're all guys." I pause, take in his well-built form and let my gaze wander back up to his eyes. "Or maybe you'd like that?"

Chase snickers, encouraging me to go on, but I think I've left him with enough to warn him off of trying to ask me out. Honestly though, I'm having trouble finding flaws. Normally I'm so much better at this.

Jayden begins to respond but I hold up my hand and drop my gaze to the slowly melting snow on the ground, signaling for him to stop; a show that I submit to his obvious dominance. This is something I do with my friend; Chloe's dog to keep him from ripping my throat out. I half expect a wet dog nose to come up and press against my palm, but I know that will never happen again.

**Betazoids forever!**

**Oh, I still do not own the Hunger Games, and I love, love, _love _getting reviews! They're like a drug. Once you get one you need more!**

**One more thing; do you all think I should do multiple POVs? PM me, or review, your feelings on the subject. I need at least two affirmative answers to actually put it into play.**

**Thank you all and forever love your friend,**

**Writing4YourLove**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: So, what do you guys think about the multiple point of view thing? I really want to know.**

**Disclaimer: I am not Suzanne Collins and, therefore, I do not own the Hunger Games. Thank you very much. **

**Please Read and review and enjoy. I care about reviews! I really do! Please, I need them. I love them. :)**

**Chapter 7; **_in which there are still tributes dying, we do not find out who the victor is for the seventy sixth Hunger Games, and there are complications to the Games._

That same day, at about noon to one-ish right after a cannon went off, Chase started coughing up blood which did _not_ look like a good thing and was just as disgusting as it sounded. There was so much blood I thought he was going to die. And, chances are, he will. In the Arena there's no health care whatsoever and you're lucky to get even the simplest supplies.

_I'm going to have to watch my own little brother die. _That was the only thing that ran through my head and the only thing I could come up with when I tried to figure out a way to help him. I could vaguely hear Haymitch saying something. He wasn't sure what's going on. He said something about a problem with the mutation; some problem that's killing him. And it's all the Capitol's fault. They can't say another tribute did this. It was them. They were the ones who mutated him. They are the reason this is happening.

Chase is losing blood fast and there's nothing I can do about it. He'll last maybe ten more minutes before he'll have lost enough blood to kill him. I know if I had a heart I'd kill him. Put him out of his misery as some might say. But I'm not able to. I just can't so the simplest thing. He's barely able to move so hitting him wouldn't be a problem, but it just isn't right. I can't be the reason my brother dies.

He can't die. He's only twelve years old.

"Rouge," I hear Jayden from a few yards behind me. "Did you just hear the announcement?"

I shake my head no because I don't trust my voice.

"They just said they're allowing four people, two girls and two boys, to get out of the Arena." He says. "Ten more kids need to die."

Another cannon goes off and I immediately turn to Chase who, although is perfectly still on the ground, is still breathing and, therefore, still alive. "Nine," I correct him quietly.

Then another cannon; this one rang through the forest for my brother. I kiss Chase on the forehead before lighting him on fire. Jayden look surprised but I just shake my head as I stand.

"The Capitol won't have him." I say, my voice cracks as my eyes begging tearing up. "They can never have him."

_"I'm sorry," _Haymitch says softly.

Jayden catches me when I start to fall. "I know," he whispers as his fingers gently run over my feathers as he holds me. The first bolt of lightning strikes close by but neither of us moves as the rain begins pouring down. "I know." He repeats. "We should find some kind of shelter."

I nod silently.

"You stay here, I'll go look around. I won't go far, okay?"

"Okay," I say softly.

"Alright, I won't be gone too long. Just stay here." He picks up his backpack and leaves. Just before he disappears he turns to me again. "Just stay here. Don't leave."

I nod and if I didn't feel like my heart was broken in two I probably would've brought up that he's told me to stay three times. He disappears and when he does I feel so _alone._ Nobody else is here, yes, but even when nobody is around there's always the feeling that you can just get up and find someone, but it feels like even the animals have all left and the trees have all died. I sit at the foot of a tree and consider cooking some kind of food since I haven't eaten since yesterday but decide against it. Chances are I wouldn't be able to eat anyway after what I've just seen.

I half expected Haymitch to come on and say something like "get out of there now. You're not safe with him" or maybe "you have to eat something, and don't give me anything about not being able to" but he says nothing. Maybe he's grieving too. Maybe he really cares. Or maybe he's too busy drinking to care what I do.

The last one is the one my mind hooks onto and it's also the most hopeless. Maybe I'm depressed. What were the symptoms of depression? I can't seem to remember even if I've spent most of the past five years studying mental conditions like it. I'd always aspired to be a psychotherapist; to treat people and talk to them about their problems and help them through the hard times. Now all I aspire to do is live through the next few days to save my parents and grandmother. They were my only family and all my friends have deserted me, well, all except one.

Alexander was my only friend. We'd been going out for a while before we decided we were better off when we were just friends. We managed to do what everybody else said was impossible. We became friends again even after our break up. Honestly though, I wouldn't be surprised if he turns on me just like the whole rest of the school did. He was really religious and he could barely stand that I hunted. Now that I'm in the Games, he'll probably damn me to Hell for even aiming at another human being with intent to kill even if I never let go of the bowstring. Even if I return nothing will be there for me. Sure, my parents are there, but it's all they can do to put on a strong face every morning and force themselves to live another day, and I've never met my grandmother; I only know she's alive. At least I think she is. She was on the older side and if she died it could've been from old age. That only shows how little I know.

That was probably about when I felt a knife pressed against my throat. I open my mouth to scream but whoever's holding me growls, "don't even think about it." I do anyway and the knife digs into my throat. "Listen, I'd love to just kill you right now and be done with it, but I was told to make this . . . painful for you." The boy, who must be at least four years older than me, pushes me onto the ground and pins me down, "where to start?" He smirks down at me. The knife digs into the skin just above my collar bone and he cuts along the bone. I scream and he slaps me hard across my face. "Shut up," he growls. He cuts to my shoulder before moving the knife up to my face. He makes a cut along the top of my eyebrow and moves down my nose before coming back up and cutting along my other eyebrow to my hairline. He moves up my hairline about an inch and cuts a curved line over the center of my forehead. I scream as loud as I can and he growls threateningly.

_"The fire," _Haymitch says quietly.

I close my eyes and try to get past the pain and focus on the fire and I fail. I try again. And again to no avail.

"I know what you're trying. You powers won't work on me. I've disabled them; that's my power." He smirks happily as he digs his knife into my other shoulder and drags it along my untouched collarbone.

Suddenly a wolf jumps on him from the side and he falls off of me. I hear a cannon go off about twenty seconds after the wolf digs its teeth into his throat.

"Jayden," I breathe.

He turns back into a human and comes back to me as a hovercraft appears to take away the other kid's body. He picks me up and starts walking back into the forest.

"Wh-where are we going?" I ask, clutching his shirt to make sure I don't fall.

"I found a cliff ledge not too far from here. I was just started heading back when I heard you scream." He sets me down and keeps walking.

I feel a little light headed from the blood loss but it isn't too bad yet. "Thank you," I sigh, following him closely. "But if I died wouldn't you be closer to getting home to your family? How do you know I wouldn't kill you in your sleep?"

"I can't."

"Yes, you can. And if you had any sense you would. You're insane."

He turns around quickly and kisses me. It might've been caused by the blood loss, but my knees go weak and my heart starts pounding. I think I hear Haymitch say something but I can't concentrate enough to make out the words. When Jayden pulls away he looks into my eyes and speaks. "I can't kill you because I love you, Rouge."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.**

**Chapter 8; **_in which there is more information, character development, and we _still _don't know who the Victors are . . . or do we?_

At first my mind refused to process the new information. No matter how much I tried I couldn't make sense of it. The words I understood, but I couldn't grasp the meaning of how the words were put together in the sentence. He couldn't have been talking to me, but I'm the only one here and he said my name. How is this possible? He's from district one and I'm from district twelve; total opposites. Not to mention the districts are separated by hundreds of miles.

"Are you okay?" He asks as he brushes some of the hair out of my eyes and examines the wounds on my head. He winces, "that isn't good; looks like he hit a major artery." I almost fall and he catches me. "Come on, we have to go. Do you think you can walk?"

Walk? I can barely stand on my own two feet, how am I supposed to walk? I don't know what I said but he must've taken it as a negative answer.

He picks me up before he continues walking. I don't know how long it was before I passed out but I woke up to the sound of birds and water. I feel a little better and less light headed but when I try to sit up a wave of dizziness blurs my vision. "Careful," I hear Jayden say from somewhere to my left. At least, I think it's my left. My brain still isn't working properly.

"H-how long have I been out?" I ask with my eyes closed, trying to get rid of the dizziness.

"You've been in and out for the last two days. There are only us and six others left and, as you've probably noticed, it stopped raining." I hear him coming closer but I still don't open my eyes. Two days? Did I hear that correctly? How could I have been out for _two days?_

"What happened?" I ask, finally opening my eyes.

"The snow has melted and the arena's hotter." He says, "That's about it though. I haven't seen anybody else around. You're healing well from the cuts."

That was when I caught a glimpse of something on his arm. It was about the same blue color as the scars on my leg, back, and stomach. "What's that on your arm?"

"Nothing, really, just something that appeared after I was mutated. I think it's about the same as yours." He pulls up his sleeve and reveals the blue scar. It looks almost exactly like part of the one on my leg. One cannon goes off and I jump at the sudden noise. "Five others," He sighs, "Three more before we get to go home."

"You think we can win?"

He smiles, "oh, I _know _we can win."

"The Gamemakers are probably targeting us." I say softly.

Another cannon goes off just as I finish the sentence.

Jayden pauses and looks into the distance. "That's strange," He says, examining the sky as if an answer would drop out of the sky.

"No, Jayden, it's not. The cannon represents-"

He cuts me off, "that another tribute's died, yeah, I know, but whenever one cannon goes off, there's always another within one hour of the last one. Do you think it has something to do with the-"

This time I cut him off, "mutation? Yes. Haymitch said it's some kind of affect the mutation has on our bodies or something. Maybe somehow the tributes are linked to each other and-"

"Whenever one dies another tribute gets that sickness or whatever it is and dies." He finishes. "Then the only question is-"

"Who are our counterpart tributes?" We both say simultaneously.

"Exactly," he whispers, "and how would we know who they are?" He considers his own question then turns to me. "Do you think it has something to do with the scars or whatever they are?"

"I don't know," I sigh. "They could mean anything."

He looks into my eyes, "you?"

"I hope I'm not your counterpart and that mine will die soon." I sigh, "at least, that's what I'd say if I didn't have my parents and possibly dead grandmother counting on me to not let the Capitol execute them."

"Why would you say that, Rouge? I hope you are my counterpart. I don't think I could live without you."

I shake my head and look away from him. "You wouldn't be saying that if you knew why my last boyfriend pulled the 'let's just be friends' card on me." So, maybe our break up wasn't so mutual. In the end we both mutually decided that the other is a complete jerk. Then, of course, he decided we should stay friends because I'm a Victor's daughter and that was like a privilege to some and all the others wanted to kill me. And the only reason he left me was because I told.

"What happened?"

I shrug, "he didn't have the same relationship expectations as I did and he wasn't willing to listen to me. This also didn't help." I pull off my left boot and sock, revealing scars that run across the bottom of my foot.

He looks at the scars carefully. "How did you get those?"

"Some guy decided it would be funny to see how I'd react to my foot being put on a hot iron when I was thirteen. I think he might've been drunk. I have another scar on my calf where a wild dog bit me when I was twelve, I think, thankfully it wasn't diseased. Then there's another three on my thigh where a guy at school tried to . . . I honestly don't know what he was trying to do, but that was from when I was ten." I think for a second then continue. "Then one more from about a month ago when the same guy from school tried to kill me or something. I don't really know what he was trying to do, kill me, mortally wound me . . . I don't know." I sigh, "the joys of being the daughter of Katniss and Peeta."

He raises his eyebrows, "I always imagined being the daughter of the two most famous living people would be a good thing."

I shake my head, "oh no. If you get stuck with a Victor parent you're done for once you hit to age of ten. Anything before that and kids barely understand the Hunger Games, after that; they're all over you with insults, knives, and really anything else that can be used to make another person suffer."

He looks truly surprised. "Back in district one nobody will even mention that you're related to a Victor. They'll treat you like anybody else in the district. Now, once in a while, I've actually seen girls target the guys who are the sons of Victors."

I snort, "Sure wish I lived there. Nobody seems to understand that I want to live a normal life. Have normal friends and normal parents who don't draw attention every time they step out of the house."

Another cannon goes off.

"How long do you think it'll be until the next one?" He asks.

I shrug, "no idea. I'm going to guess an hour and a half."

He nods slowly, "I'm going for half an hour." He thinks about it a second and closes his eyes. "No. I'll go with twenty eight minutes."

"How do you know twenty eight?" I ask, confused.

He smirks, "that was all I had to do for the past two days, Rouge. That and make sure you didn't die."

"So, where'd you get twenty eight?"

"The average time interval, calculate for the likelihood that the tribute who died was a boy and the one dying is a girl-"

I cut him off. "Why does it matter?"

"Studies have shown that girls fight harder to survive than us guys." He smiles. "Anyway, you take that number, consider how tough they must be to survive this long in the Games and there's your number."

"You must be good at math."

"No, that was just easy, just numbers. Now if I were faced with an algebra problem? Well, I couldn't do one of those if it would save my life." He says, brushing it off.

"It's getting dark. The cannon for the other tribute should go off, if what you've predicted was correct, about an hour before announcements." I lean my head back again the wall of the rock ledge.

I nod slowly, "if being a Victor's child is hard, just imagine being a Victor." Mom may have not told me about her Games or the Rebellion, but she's told me about some of the other Victors and most of them ended up dead.

"Can't be too bad," he half smiles as his arm goes around my waist, "at least, as long as I have you." He kisses me and I swear I'm going to freak out if this happens again. It was at least thirty seconds before he pulls away.

"I will never get used to that." I breathe.

He kisses me again, "I love you, Rouge."

"I . . . think I love you," but, being the loaner I am, I have no idea how love feels. I barely know how it feels to trust another person.

"What's wrong?"

I half smile, "Haymitch will probably give me a black eye if I keep this up."

_"That's right, sweetheart," _I hear him growl in my ear. _"Maybe the Capitol will give you worse like, I don't know, execution maybe?" _But for some stupid reason, I don't care what he says anymore. In just about half an hour, I'm going home. I reach up and turn the volume off on the earpiece before concentrating on Jayden.

"But I don't care about Haymitch anymore." Oh, he's going to be so mad at me. My parents will probably be too, but probably more for disrespecting my mentor than kissing a district one guy.

He pulls away first. "Wait a minute. Why are they letting four tributes-?"

He's interrupted by an announcement. _"Ladies and gentlemen, let's have a round of applause for the Victors of the seventy sixth Hunger Games! District one tribute and the great nephew of Johanna Mason; Jayden Hart, district three tribute and great niece of Beetee Spark; Gypsy Spark, district seven tribute and granddaughter of Seeder Garcia; Lilly Rose, district twelve tribute and daughter of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark; Muscosa Mellark, _and district ten tribute and grandson of Raymond Worchester; Kyle Worchester._" _Have they not figured out that I prefer my middle name? And why are there five Victors?

Jayden looks at me as the hovercrafts come in and whispers to me; "What on Earth are they hiding?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: I'm sorry. I was going to have this up by Saturday but I didn't have much time on Thursday to write because I had to take a nap before I went to the Hunger Games and on Friday I was really tired and Saturday I wasn't home almost all day so I'm sorry. Please read and review because I love, love, LOVE your reviews and my readers and pplease enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it.**

**Chapter 9; **_in which there is a note, the meeting of the other Victors, and hatred of the Capitol, as usual._

I wake up to someone pounding on a wall. "Let us out you cowards! You can't even face us, can you?" It's coming from the inside, just a little to my left, I think, "bastards! Open this door and fight!"

I sit up and look around. There's one little, blonde girl who's running over the walls with her fingers, looking desperately for any escape. A red head sits on the ground, crying. I have the overwhelming urge to tell her to stop because crying won't help anything but I don't. There's a boy who looks too be the oldest trying to comfort the red head and Jayden is the one yelling at whoever is on the other side of the wall. I stand and silently place my hand on his arm, silently telling him to stop. He turns to me, obviously upset but forcing a smile. "Hey, Rouge," He kisses me.

I pull away and take his hand before examining it. He's bleeding. It looks bad. "Jayden," I breathe, "you know I love you, but you're such an idiot sometimes. This won't help." I turn to the red head; she looks years older than me and she's the one crying? I sigh, "Crying won't help either so I suggest you stop before somebody rates you as weak. We may not be in the Games anymore but I know it's not over." The girl looking for an escape route seems to be calm but she looks pretty shaken up too.

The oldest boy stands and nods to me. "You must be Muscosa. I'm Kyle, she's Gypsy," he gestures to the red head then continues. "The blonde is Lilly and you seem to already know Jayden."

"Call me Rouge," I say simply. "Nice to meet you, now what is going on?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out." He says, exhausted, "we all woke up here. Nobody knows how we got here, but in case you haven't noticed, they removed our powers."

But I still have my wings. . .

"The only thing is we still have the mark things or whatever they are and you have your wings."

I nod slowly, "what if the Capitol used something on us so we can't use our powers while we're here? Haymitch mentioned something about the Capitol using something to stop us from using our powers to destroy them."

"Maybe that's why one of us isn't dead." Jayden says before quickly explaining to the others the theory we came up with in the arena.

"That's brilliant." Kyle says, surprised. "So, you're Katniss and Peeta's daughter, Rouge?" He looks me over, mentally comparing me to my mother and father. When I nod he speaks again. "Yeah, definitely a good amount of family resemblance; you look a lot like your mother." Yeah, I do, and the other kids at school would never let me forget it.

"I get that a lot." I rely dryly.

Lilly speaks timidly now, turning toward us unsurely. "Hey, this note just came out of the wall." She says holding up a small white paper with neat, black print on it.

Gypsy takes it from Lilly before she can read it and when she finishes her face is devoid of all color. She stiffly hands the paper to Jayden who reads it out loud. "Due to recent events another Hunger Games will be played by two girls and two boys from each of the twelve districts. The first chosen will be Victors. If we cannot find enough Victors we will use children twelve through eighteen to fill the places." Jayden swallows hard and nobody else could possibly move. "The Reaping shall be held today at noon. We will collect you in half an hour. Clothes are through the door which we will open. Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor." A section of the wall slides open revealing five sets of clothes, three dresses and two suits.

There was a long silence as the information seeps into everybody's minds. There will be another Hunger Games. My parents, Haymitch, and I will most certainly be chosen. I may have to fight my own mentor. Only one can survive. My conscious mind is screaming at me _'information does not compute' _but my subconscious mind knows exactly what the Capitol wants from this and exactly how it's going to be. They want the Mockingjay and her family and friends dead.

I must've started to fall because Jayden is the only thing keeping me on my feet right now. We all know what this means. And it sucks. I can't help but feel I'm being used. And I am. I'm being used by the Capitol against my own mother. The person I love more than anything else in the world even if I wouldn't ever admit it. I might have to eventually take the life of the woman who gave me my own.

I think I'd rather die than kill her. And if letting her live means sacrificing myself then so be it. I owe her so much for what she's given me over the past fourteen years. I can only repay her in the Arena by giving my life for hers. She wouldn't like that, but she'd get over it.

"This must be some kind of a joke." Kyle says softly, "it can't be real. There's one Hunger Games per year. Not two. It's was like that for years. They can't just change it now. This is wrong. It can't be real."

"Yes they can. The Capitol can do whatever it wants because it's all powerful and evil." Gypsy says, obviously trying not to cry. "I want to go home."

I sit back down on the bed to keep from collapsing. "I think we all do." I sigh. "So, I guess we're probably going to be trying to kill each other pretty soon."

"I guess," Gypsy says, now pretending she had never cried. Now she's examining her fingernails threateningly. "And I'm going to win." Girl has guts and it's kind of aggravating me right now.

Lilly looks at Gypsy as if she were insane, "there will be forty eight tributes in there; some of them your family. I can assure you that Beetee will be tapped for this." Lilly watches me intently while she continues. "I'm pretty sure they'll be aiming for our families for this. Too bad my Victor relative is already dead."

She was the one related to Seeder, one of the Victors who had readily assisted in helping to keep the flame of the rebellion still burning by being one of the Victors to reach out for the other tribute Victors' hands in the interview stage of the seventy fifth Hunger Games without hesitating.

"Too bad," Jayden says softly. "I never really knew Johanna; just what I've heard about her. After the rebellion my family moved to district one so it wasn't like we were anywhere near each other."

I've heard a lot about Johanna over the last few years. She seemed pretty cool. Sure, a little sarcastic, she might, just might, hate my mother, and was tortured in the Capitol alongside my father, but overall, she seems like a pretty good person. "I think you'd like her," I say. "From what I've been told though, you two are complete opposites." He has brown hair like her, but, really, that's where the similarities stop. He has green eyes, not brown like Johanna and his personality doesn't even come close to being able to compare to Johanna's sarcastic, untrusting one.

"I'd still like to get to know her." He says simply, "but that may not happen. Even if it does, it probably wouldn't be on the best to terms." He smiles, "I mean, how well can you get to know a person if you're trying to kill each other?"

Kyle shrugs, "if I were you, I'd probably just hope she doesn't outright despise you. Anyway, we should probably change."

Gypsy sneers, "In front of everybody else?" I'm starting to hate her more and more every second.

"Does it really matter? We're all going to die anyway." I say, annoyed even though I agree with her. "Just get over it."

"Easy for you to say; you're from district twelve."

I resist the urge to punch her in the face mostly because she's twice my size and probably stronger than me in addition to most certainly older than me. "Would you rather be killed by peacekeepers slowly and painfully, or let a few guys see you naked?" On a good day, for me at least, it would be a no brainer, but today the peacekeepers were sounding pretty good.

I can tell she's trying to come up with a good comeback but this is taking far too long.

"Girls, girls," Kyle say exasperatedly. "You're wasting time. You really think we care? Honestly, right now, I'm more worried about dying than girls."

Jayden nods, "I agree. I have my priorities lined up and they are one, don't die, two, try to somehow get out of the arena, three, again, don't die, four, try to keep you alive." He smiles at me. "I'm sorry, Rouge, but you're number four on my list."

"Don't feel bad Jayden, you aren't very high on my list either." And I have a very, _very_ long list.

**I love Johanna. I don't know why, but I do. She's awesome. Go Johanna.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: This is my tenth chapter, that's double digets, and I'm so happy I've made it this far! Hopefully this will work out so that I can wrap it up eventually. I know this chapter is short but I wanted to end it like I do so yeah. Anyway I have to go to bed so read and review please;**

**I do not own the Hunger Games**

**Chapter 10; **_in which there is a reaping, a fight, and still more blood._

It had to have been at least on hour before I was standing in the middle of the district twelve square waiting for Effie Trinket, who was chosen as the district's escort for some reason that must have something to do with my parents' past, to pull out the first name.

She reaches into the large, glass ball and takes one of the two slips of paper there. "Muscosa Mellark," she announces.

I walk up to stage, unsure why they even bothered to take me back here because they knew I'd just end up back in the Capitol again. Effie doesn't ask for volunteers. That was one of the things the president said could not be done. We couldn't volunteer.

"Now for our second Victor," she reaches into the ball again and reads the name we all know is printed there. "Katniss Everdeen," for some reason they're using my mother's maiden name. I'm not sure why, but they are. I think it might be because it gives the illusion that they're not putting a whole family into the arena to fight to the death.

My mother walks up, her face emotionless. She knows how horrible the Games are. She knows this was caused by her when she pulled out the Nightlock to save herself and my father so many years ago. Maybe I should blame her for this, but I don't. She did what any half decent person would do. If anything I admire her courage for standing up to the Capitol and helping to free the Districts, if only for a few years.

Effie moves to the other ball and pulls out one of the two slips. "Haymitch Abernathy," she announces. Haymitch comes up shakily. He's drunk and everybody knows it. I understand why he can't stand to be sober right now.

He reaches the stage and grabs the microphone from Effie. "Do you know what you're doing?" He yells, "You're repeating all your mistakes! This will be your last one!" Peacekeepers run up and drag him into the justice building, leaving behind a shaken crowd.

I glance over toward my mother who looks completely unsure of what just happened.

"Well," Effie Trinket continues, putting an end to the silence that covers the square. "Let us now select our last tribute-"

"Quit with the show, we all know the only slip in the ball says Peeta Mellark, just like they planned. Haymitch is right, this is messed up!" I can't find the owner of the voice in the crowed before he's taken away by peacekeepers but I recognize it. He's one of Chase's friends. Alexander Ross, the son of the butcher. We were never really friends, he didn't beat me up so I'd call him a casual acquaintance, but he was Chase's best friend since kindergarten. He never was too intelligent but I've always respected him for speaking his mind, even though now that could be the reason he dies.

Effie obviously doesn't know how to respond, she attempts to continue by reaching into the ball and reading my father's name off the small slip of paper.

What happens is amazing to me and will live with me to my final breath.

As my father walks up to the makeshift stage, the people of the district slowly bring their middle three fingers to their lips and hold them out to us. This is an old gesture from district twelve that says goodbye to somebody you love. My mother takes me into her arms and kisses the top of my head.

I don't see what happens next but I hear screaming and yelling and gunshots as the peacekeeper frantically drag us into the Justice Building.

Then Haymitch is yelling something that I'm having trouble understanding, my mother is answering quickly, and somewhere in the distance I hear more gunshots and insanity outside. A peacekeeper grabs me from behind and is holding a gun to my temple, my mother's freaking out, dad is trying to get out of a peacekeepers grip, Haymitch threw up on the carpet, and I can't see Effie. A gun goes off and my mother screams as blood pours down my dad's arm. The peacekeeper had missed thankfully and lets go in surprise, the one holding me is distracted and without thinking I bite down on his arm that is now directly in my face. He curses, letting go of me and dropping his gun. I had managed to draw a little blood. I turn as fast as I can and kick him in the head.

People flood the room, some body shoots at one of the peacekeepers and the woman goes down. Somebody yells out orders but my mind is focusing too much on the decision of fight or flight to process the command. I'm being pulled up stairs, down hallways, and ultimately to the roof of the building where a hovercraft is waiting on the roof. I'm pulled on and when I try to get out I'm held back and told to calm down.

Eventually somebody just gives me some kind of sedative to keep me from trying to get away, but right before I fall asleep I think I see my mother sitting next to me.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: I love your comments so please read and review. You guys are the best! Thank you to those who have read and reviwed and added me to their story and author alert and favorite story and author.**

**Disclaimer: As I've said ten times before; I do not own the Hunger Games.**

**Chapter 11; **_in which there is a rebellion, cats (yay!), and people._

I wake up to a bright light and voices I don't recognize. There's a woman I can hear clearly, another woman whose words I can barely make out, and a man. "She won't be happy about . . ." Says the first woman.

"Forget her . . . fate . . . rebellion . . . his life," says the other woman.

The man snorts loudly. "He doesn't matter at all and nor does she. They don't help us at all unless we have both here, both safe, and both willing to help us. Not to mention if one dies, the other does too."

I'm nearly certain they're talking about Jayden and me, but I don't understand what they're talking about. What are they trying to do? Why do they need either of us at all? What use would I be to whatever they're planning?

"She's awake," the first woman says.

I sit up as the people came in. One of the two women is blonde with pale blue eyes, the other is a red head with dark green eyes, and the man has greying black hair and very dark, very intense blue eyes. "What do you want from me?" I ask, surprised I sound much more sure than I really am.

"Nothing right now, I'll call somebody down to show you around." The red head woman says, leaving.

The man examines me carefully. "She'll probably be good to go into training with the others. I will see you tomorrow in training." He turns and leaves.

The blonde woman rolls her eyes, "don't worry, I swear I won't bite, but I can't speak for them. I'm Cynthia Haralson, the Genetic Engineering specialist here. I'm sorry about them, they're not too happy about not being able to rescue everybody they wanted to. The other woman was Kitty Storm, our Communications specialist, and the man was our training expert Bernard Wood."

"I'm Rouge," I say softly, still unsure why I'm here. "Who did you get out of there?"

She thinks about the question for a moment. "Well, I don't know many people by name, but I know your mother is here and we have at least a hundred from your district, Haymitch included, a few dozen from district one including me, the Capitol, and very few from other districts. There haven't been many others from other districts but we expect more to come."

"So my father and Jayden . . ."

"Were taken by the Capitol, I'm sorry, we're really trying to figure out where they are."

I consider it for a minute. "Well, I guess we'll know if they kill Jayden, but I think I'd prefer not seeing him next wherever we go after we die." I consider this for a minute. "Check the upper west side of the Capitol for his tracker. If they didn't deactivate it, wouldn't you still be able to detect it on some kind of radar?"

She looks surprised and amazed, "That's not my area of expertise, but that sounds plausible. Why do you think this?"

"I don't know," I say, thinking carefully about it. "There's just this thing in my head that's telling me this."

She appears completely enthralled. "Like a voice?"

"No," I say slowly, "More like a . . . magnetic pull. You know how it is when you know somebody really well and you can just . . . feel it when they're close to you?" I pause and try to get my words straight. "It's kind of like that, just stronger and over a longer distance."

"Amazing," she whispers, "it must be part of the bond."

"Maybe," and if it is, I'm starting to hate this. It feels like something is missing, like I'm missing a lung or my heart or some other vital organ. It's kind of like a cavern that's dug deep into my chest and is only home to loneliness and pain. But for a metaphoric cavern, it really hurts.

The door opens and a girl who looks a few years older than me walks in. "Hey, I'm Cheyenne West; I'll be showing you around."

Cynthia smiles, "I'll let you two talk; I have to go. I'll be in my office if you need me." She leaves the room quietly.

Cheyenne watches her leave then turns to me. "I'm Cheyenne, as she said, I'm eighteen and I was from twelve too. We never met because we're a few years apart in school. My little brother also was friends with your little brother. You probably remember Alexander."

I knew he had a sister but I never met her, at least, until now. "Yeah, I remember him. Those two were inseparable. How's Alex handling Chase's death?" If he's handling it at all like me, he's not handling it well.

"Very well actually," she says it like she's surprised as I am. And she very well may be. "He said that the true meaning of life is true happiness and that Chase had found it so he had no reason to live anymore."

I want to cry but I hold back the tears. "Why are young kids always more intelligent than us teens?"

"Maybe the hormones destroy creativity? I'm not sure, but either way, I'm supposed to show you around." I stand and follow her out into a long, white hallway before she starts speaking again. "This is our medical facility, as you've probably figured out. Up one floor are the farms, and above that are the classrooms, the mess hall, and command rooms. Everything above that are our compartments and below us is the indoor training area."

I nod slowly, "no problem."

"I'll show you where your compartment is; its number 263, top floor, closest to the surface. You'll be staying with your mother."

"Alright, anything else I should know?"

She stops for a second and thinks, "well, they're really strict about supplies and rules and everything, so just be careful, and they'll probably be watching you pretty carefully because of the wings."

Nothing I didn't expect, but it shouldn't be too hard to fit in. Well, all except the wings, but I'll live with that. "No problem, it's not like I'm really a potential arsonist, I can barely control my powers."

"That's what they're worried about." She says, leading me into an elevator. "They think you'll try to figure out the extent of your powers unsupervised and the whole district will be burned to ashes."

I roll my eyes, "like I haven't heard that before. It's like whenever we do anything adults are afraid something will happen. A tornado, hurricane, tsunamis, but most often fire."

"Exactly," she says, "and they start more fire than us. Smoking, leaving the stove on, causing wildfires, then there's also deforestation, nuclear war, the melting of the polar ice caps. Adults have ruined this world for us." She turns to a door, "Here we are; your new home. Make yourself comfortable. I'm a floor down in 352 if you need me. Hey Katniss, I'll see you later." She turns away and exits, leaving me alone with my mother.

It's a medium sized room with two beds one stacked on top of the other. My mother sits on the bottom one. She had been engrossed in a book that didn't have a title on the cover but now she looks up to me. She puts the book aside and stands before pulling me into her arms. "I love you Rouge," she whispers.

"I love you too mom," I respond, slightly in shock. I can't remember the last time she told me she loved me. I knew she did, but she never said it.

I hear someone snicker from the doorway. "What a sweet mother-daughter moment. Funny, what was it I remember you saying in the woods, Catnip? That you were never going to have kids?"

"That is_ not_ funny Gale." My mom says, letting go of me. "Why are you here anyway?"

I turn to the man in the doorway. He has dark hair like mom's and grey eyes like my mom's; they were both from the Seam, the poorer part of twelve. I remember mom saying they were hunting partners until he left for district two. "I just thought I'd bring you some stuff from twelve that looked like something you might be interested in." He takes a backpack off his shoulder and opens it. He pulls out my mother's gold mockingjay pin and the locket my father wore as his district token in the seventy fifth Games and drops them into my mother's hand.

"How'd you get into our house?" She asks skeptically.

He smirks, "I have my ways. Now what else do we have here." He drops a small, round pearl into my mom's hand and gives me my charm bracelet I got for my fifth birthday before pausing. "Now, just a few more things," He reaches into the bag and pulls out my black and white cat, Nightberry, "I figured she was yours." He gives me my cat and nods slowly as I cradle her gently. "Now, there were a few other things I found that she refused to let me leave behind." He pulls out two small balls of fur from the bag.

"Kittens," I can't help but smile. I knew Nightberry was getting fat, but I just thought I was feeding her too much. Of course, I didn't feed her; she fed herself so that was a pretty stupid idea.

"Exactly," he says, "I should go; I'll see you around."

"You too," my mother says dryly, taking the kittens and practically shoving him out the door. She puts the kittens on a pillow on the bottom bed. "Never thought I'd see him again," she sounds pretty annoyed.

I pause for a second. "Is this one of those 'you had to be there' moments? Because the girl with a hundred twenty IQ is _not_ following you, maybe you can clarify just a little bit?"

"Don't worry about it, Rouge. You have plenty to worry about as it is, I'll worry about him." She sits back down. "So, how are you doing, Rouge?"

I shrug, "it's pretty nice here. The arena kind of sucked, but otherwise I'm fine. Not too many scars just the ones that guy ripped into my face as you can probably see. I'm going to bed, it's already eight. Goodnight."

"Alright, goodnight, I have to go talk to somebody." She leaves silently, leaving me to go to sleep, but I can't. No matter how hard I try I can't fall asleep with the feeling that there's something inside me eating away at my internal organs.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: I'm so happy, oh so happy, I feel- Oh, wait, what? It's way too late to be writing anything right now. Oh, wait, it's only 10:04, dang it. Well, anyway, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: You recognize it? Yes? Then I don't own it. Sorry!**

**Chapter 12; **_in which there is food, knives, and strangeness (Oh my God, strangeness is actually a real word!)._

The next morning at breakfast I can tell everybody is watching me even though I'm trying to hide my wings under the standard issue –in other words hand-me-down- shirt that is at least three sizes too big for me, I have to roll the sleeves up to keep them from falling over my hands.

"Don't take it to heart; they just aren't used to having people like . . . you here." Cheyenne, who's decided to be by my side every second, says. I think she was assigned to watch me to make sure I don't commit arson or suicide I'm pretty sure that would probably be an accurate assumption.

I put down my fork and stare at her coldly. "Allow me to rephrase." I almost growl. "They're not used to having Capitol mutations within their walls, living in the same ecosystem as their children. I shouldn't be here anyway. I should be in the Capitol competing to my death with my parents trying not to have to kill them."

She shakes her head slowly. "Rouge, just calm down and give it some time. You'll be fine here. So what if you had no friends and the only time you talked to a guy not related to you was to tell him to stop hitting you, that doesn't mean you have no hope here. I mean, people here are too afraid to beat you up."

"Yeah, back in twelve people beat me up then avoided me, here they point and whisper while avoiding me. Much better," I say sarcastically.

She looks defeated, "uh, well, at least they don't beat you up anymore." She's always the optimist, wonderful. "Besides, you have a wonderful new boyfriend and he can't ever leave you."

"Consider the factor of my, as you say, wonderful new boyfriend being hundreds of miles away in the Capitol." The metaphorical hole in my chest is growing and the pain is just too real to be purely in my head.

"Don't be so bitter." She says indignantly, "I'm only trying to help. I should go; I promised I'd talk to my friend about . . . um, I don't know, some kind of hippo entertainment system?" She scurries off.

She's not even trying. "Hippopotami have been extinct for over fifty years," I call after her. "If you're going to lie at least make it plausible."

I eat the rest of my lunch in silence before glancing at the bruise-colored, temporary tattoo on the inside of my forearm. Next is training.

I make my way to the elevator and down to the bottom floor where the indoor training area is. The trainer on duty, a large, muscled man with his black hair cut military style and cold, calculating blue eyes, introduces himself as Evans, or, as he told me very clearly, that I'm to call him Coach Evans. Today he tells me the class is working with ranged weapons and he wants to put me in archery.

The rest of the class arrives and we're told to go to the stations. I take a bow from the wall along with a quiver of arrows. I aim at the target on the wall and let go of the bowstring, hitting the target, even if not in the direct center. I take a moment to glance at another girl's target; she had barely hit the outside circle, compared to her I'm doing pretty well, but we're both just warming up.

Evans notices my skill and moves me to knife throwing. Dummies slide out of the floor and one lights up a soft orange color around the target on its head. "Just try to hit the targets." He walks away to give somebody else tips, leaving me to the targets.

I hit the first target without any problem, but the further they are from me the harder it is to hit. Overall, I think I did pretty well considering the pain that fills my chest with every beat of my heart.

After training I had a lot of other, unmemorable, classes and lunch before the areas on my body with the strange, bluish scars start hurting really badly. It feels a little like somebody is ripping my flesh off my body. I was in a geography class when it started, the teacher, Ms. Kenny, told me to go down to the Medical Center. When I arrived the woman from before, Cynthia Haralson I think, sits me down and starts asking questions. When did it start? Are there any other symptoms? What kind of pain is it?

I try to answer all of the questions, but some of them are just confusing. She's patient and constantly taking notes. In the end she decides to keep me here for observation since this could be anything.

"It could be anything from a reaction to a cold or an effect of the bond." She says, "I'd just like you to stay in case it's something serious or if it gets worse."

So I end up spending the night in a hospital bed.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Happy Easter everybody! I hope your day is going as well as mine is! Well, here's chapter thirteen, please read and review and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, as I've said twelve times before. I didn't own it then and I don't own it now.**

**Chapter 13; **_in which there are nightmares, mystery, and italics._

_ Jayden is right there in front of me, half dead with deep cuts in his stomach and left leg, tied to a metal table but I can't get any closer and as much as I yell he can't hear me and nobody comes to help. The room is mostly dark except for one naked light bulb connected to the ceiling hanging just out of my reach. _

_ A man dressed all in white like a doctor comes in with a knife. He doesn't seem to notice me but goes over to Jayden, "You going to talk or not?" The man growls, "Because if you don't I'll kill you. And you know as well as I do that if you die your little girlfriend dies too." He holds the knife to Jayden's throat, ready to drag it across his throat._

_ "Don't, please, I don't know anything. Don't hurt her, she didn't do anything." Jayden says quietly._

_ The man takes the knife and drags it down Jayden's arm, making a deep cut. I can feel the knife like it was in my own arm. I scream at the same time he does._

I wake up screaming and a nurse comes in and immediately assesses my condition. "Are you alright? Would you like me to get Ms. Haralson?"

I shake my head. "No, I'm fine; I'll talk to her in the morning." I say, looking at the clock that reads three forty five AM.

"Are you sure? I could go get her, I'm sure she wouldn't mind." She says, seemingly worried about me. Who knows, she may be.

"No," I try my best to sound sure. "It's okay; I'll talk to her tomorrow. Don't worry about it, I'll be fine. It was just a nightmare." At least I hope it was just a nightmare, but I still feel pain in my arm. Jayden's dying somewhere and I'm here perfectly fine aside from a little pain.

The nurse leaves hesitantly and once she's out of hearing range I start crying and I don't really know why.

I must've cried myself to sleep that night because when I wake up again it's nine in the morning and Cynthia is waiting for me to wake up. The second my eyes open she speaks. "The nurse told me about what happened last night. She said you had a nightmare. Can you tell me what it was about?"

I tell her about my dream, or maybe vision, and how it all seemed so real; almost like it was all really happening.

She nods slowly. "I need you to come with me to talk to the leaders about this. I've been speaking to them and they're still unsure. They're worried he might be hijacked. You know what that means, right?"

"Yeah, they did that to my dad." And he is also in the Capitol's clutches.

She bites her bottom lip and nods slowly. "Yes," she sighs, "I'll come back a little later and we'll go talk to them. Okay?"

"Okay," I say softly.

She smiles, "good. I'll have somebody bring you breakfast. Is there anything else you need?"

I think for a moment. "Is Haymitch here?"

"I do believe so. Would you like me to ask him to come down here?"

"Yes please," I don't know why I want to talk to him in particular, I _did_ reject him back in the arena but I need to talk to my old mentor. He might know what I should do. Or at least what's going on.

She nods, beginning to leave. "I'll see if I can find him."

"Thank you," I whisper, running my fingers over the cool sheets.

She must've found him, either that or he found me, because in about ten minutes he does come in with a smug look on his face. "You finally decide you need advice?"

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. "Can we wait until I don't feel like I'm dying?"

He shrugs, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"What's going on here? The day I woke up I heard somebody say something about my only being of use if Jayden's here, we're both willing to help, and unharmed. What does that mean?"

"Listen, I don't think they want you to know this yet, but we've been expecting the Capitol to pull something crazy like this, we've been preparing. That's what this is. We're in the ruins of thirteen, in case you haven't figured that out." He closes his eyes, thinking about what to say. "They're hoping that if you and Jayden are here and still together they can use you to get the districts to see the separation of the districts and how they can be united or something like that. The point is if they don't have both of you and both of you won't cooperate with them, then you're expendable. In fact, if you don't work with them, they'll kill you. You're a weapon they don't want in the Capitol's hands. Gypsy died just as whatever they gave you wore off and the other two are in one of the districts, which one we don't know. That means that you and Jayden are the ones everyone is focused on right now." His eyes open again.

"So essentially they're fighting over me." That's one sentence I never expected to hear coming out of my mouth because usually people were fighting me, "wonderful."

He nods tensely, "Anything else?"

"Yes, I have to talk to the leaders or something and don't know what to say."

"Make it up as you go along. I have no idea what they're going to talk about. Just tell the truth and don't freak out. I have to go, breakfast is already half over. See you around." He leaves immediately leaving me alone.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: Alright, I wanted this to be up by Wedensday, but I'm sorry, I didn't. Anyway, please read and review and enjy! (Please do take time to review!)**

**Disclaimer: You recognize it and it's not mine.**

**Chapter 14;**_ in which there is a meeting, people I mildly dislike, and possibly an important person._

Communications is basically a huge room with a large Holograph Table in the center, lined with seats. The others here are the President of the Rebellion, Carmen Sand, the Secondary Leader, Caleb Freeman, the mayor of District Thirteen, Derrick Bone, the medical specialist, Antonio Anderson, and, of course, Cynthia Haralson, Genetic Engineering Specialist.

"It's too dangerous," President Sand announces. "We cannot dispatch a rescue squad to rescue people who could possibly be brainwashed by the Capitol. They could cause more trouble than they're worth."

Cynthia nods slowly. "Yes, and the current mutated children could be problematic to our operation too, but the Capitol knows how to use them. These children could be our way to stop the Capitol from rising again. Or at least slow them from taking over." That comment brings on a round of disagreement and agreement.

My head is starting to hurt from all the people talking so I barely hear it when Derrick Bone looks at me and speaks. "What do you think Muscosa? What would you like to tell us? There must be a reason you're here."

I take a deep breath. "I don't know, honestly. All I can tell you is that Jayden's hurt really badly and when he's hurt, I'm hurt. So I won't be of much use to you unless you manage to stop him from being hurt and I'd imagine it works the other way around too so if I end up hurt he probably will too."

"What kind of pain?" Dr. Anderson asks. "Can you use one of these words to describe it; burning, throbbing, piercing, pinching, biting, stinging, or shooting?"

I consider his question, slightly confused, "throbbing or burning, I can't really tell right now. It's not always the same but it's always in the same location as one of these." I pull down the shoulder on my shirt to reveal part of the intricate blue scars running from the base of my neck down my back.

"So the pain runs along the . . ." Cynthia pauses, "along the scars?"

I nod, considering, "exactly. It starts in my head, like a headache, and then it spreads down to my neck and so on. It's not like it all comes up immediately. Then it fades over time."

"About how long does this last?" Dr. Anderson asks, inquisitive gold-brown eyes gazing into my blue ones.

I close my eyes, "it depends. I still feel the pain from the first even now, but it's not as bad as before. It feels almost like a healing wound, first there's pain then it starts itching, almost like it's scabbing over and my knee feels a little stiff, like a healing bone, almost."

"Excuse me," Carmen Sand says, calling the attention back to her, "but I don't see how this is relevant to the case at hand. This girl could be dangerous."

"Anyone can be dangerous, Sand, but this girl is suffering because of something we can help." Dr. Anderson says, obviously just as tired of this conversation as I am. "So I suggest we help."

President Sand looks at me, evaluating. "Who's to say she's just going to turn on us once she's stronger? She could destroy this all."

"Then lock me up," I growl directly at her, drawing everyone's eyes. "Run your tests; keep me in some high tech prison or whatever shit you've come up with, but please don't let Jayden die. He's more than my lifeline; he's the only person who actually listened to me."

The room was silent for a minute before the president nods tensely. "I want that on paper and signed by all the witnesses. Then I will send a rescue team to find the other ones."

"Thank you for you consideration," I growl, stalking away back to my compartment and slamming the door behind me, half glad and half angry at what just happened.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games**

**Chapter 15; **_in which there are people, conversation, and . . . just read the dang chapter._

"You know," I hear Casey, the boy sitting beside me, whisper, "There are more people than just you who've been hurt by the Capitol, just like you're not the only one who's been mutated." The pencil I'd been holding flew out of my hand and now floats in the air. "I was one of the first experimental human mutations. My mother was one of the scientists who helped put the whole thing together. She forced me to go in as a test subject. They prepared for that more than you think."

"Casey," the Language teacher scolds, "you must pay attention! As I was saying . . ." I ignore the rest of her speech on some kind of writing test on Friday.

I take the pencil back and glance at him. "So you're mother made you go in and get an operation that could possibly kill you?" He doesn't respond. "Do you know anything about the whole bond thing?"

"I don't know, I think it's something that came on recently. I haven't had any problems with it." He admits, "It was probably something that went wrong in the process or something like that, I heard mom talking about something that was backfiring. They probably didn't have enough time to fix it."

"Wonderful," I mutter, "so nobody knows what's going on, just perfect."

I catch his nod in the corner of my vision. "Exactly, I just figured you'd like to know you're not alone. If you want, I sit in the back at lunch, if you'd like to join me you're welcome. Class is almost over; I'll see you in Geography." That was about when the teacher announced that class was dismissed.

I take him up on his offer for lunch because I want to know how many others like me there are. He half smiles when I sit down. "Never expected you'd take me up on my offer; the company in appreciated though."

"How many others like us exist?" I ask as soon as he's done talking.

He considers it for a long time and I start thinking he didn't hear me when he finally speaks. "Maybe twenty," he says softly, "possibly more, possibly less. That's just still living though. There were more, as you know."

"Alright, I know about six of them. You, Kyle, Gypsy-"

"Gypsy died, word got around that when she got off the Capitol's drugs she died. Cole, the kid she was bonded to, died in the arena and they didn't want to wait for her to die."

"Alright, then, there's also Lily, me, and Jayden. Are any of _them_ dead?" I ask harshly, fully aware I shouldn't snap at him. I was, after all, the one who sat over here with him.

"Not that we know of." He says simply.

"Who else is there?"

He drops his head into his hands and sighs. "Well, I know a boy named Cyrus, Jackson, Hayley, Luna, and Orsin. They were all friends from school who were willing to risk their lives for a possibly life-changing thing. They were idiots, just wanted to be popular."

I tilt my head to the side, confused. "People _do_ that kind of thing to themselves for popularity?"

He allows himself a breathy laugh. "Sorry, I keep forgetting you're not from the Capitol."

"Yeah, I'm not- wait, was that an insult?"

"Not really. It just means you wouldn't understand what people will do for popularity there." He shakes his head. "That was why my mom wanted me to do it – because I had no friends – but I never wanted that."

"So what do you want?" I think about what I just said. "That didn't sound right. What I meant was what did you want instead of lots of friends like you mother did?"

"I don't know," he shrugs, looking down at the table. "I guess I just wanted to be different. Do something besides sit around and annoy people all day. This'll probably sound like total bull, but I wanted to work in district three. I wanted to do something that people would be proud of me for. I wanted to invent things." He runs his finger through his hair while he assesses my reaction to his previous revelation.

"No, I understand. I never wanted to mine coal or farm crops like everyone else. I just didn't know what I _did_ want to do; doesn't matter much now though, seeing as I have wings."

There's a long silence before he speaks again. "I'm curious, what kind of parents are Katniss and Peeta?" He's paying way too much attention to me. If he were like most any guy I've ever met before he would've stood up and walked away a long time ago.

I pick at the rough bread roll in my hands and shrug. "They tended to play at the 'one day I'm the nice parent the next I'm the one who'll set your punishment' most of the time, mom was the latter."

He nods slowly, "Which one were you closer to?"

"I was always closer to my father," I look at him curiously, "what's with all the questions? Are you trying to interrogate me to death?"

He doesn't respond, instead we eat the rest of our lunch in silence. When I get up and leave for training he follows and once we're in the hallway, alone except for a few others, hurrying by, he turns around to me and before I can move he kisses me. It takes me at least seven seconds to regain my head enough to push him away and make up some lame excuse about the trainer wanting to talk to me about something before class starts. All I know is that I need a minute to think everything through. I don't even know him, I just met him today.

I try to not concentrate on what just happened and instead work on finding the Training Center without getting lost too many times. And, of course, Evans was pissed because I got there two minutes late. "They want you in Canter five. Go now." He says it all without even taking his eyes off the two girls fighting in the center of the room.

I just turn and leave again, finding the door marked 'Training Center 4' after about five minutes of wandering up and down the hallway feeling stupid. When I open the door I find a room about the size of the district twelve school's gymnasium and at least ten other kids and three adults. One older woman who looks to be in her mid to late twenties introduces herself as Kyra Woodstock. She also told me this room is being used for the training of mutations. She didn't actually say the word, but we both knew it was implied.

"The leader, President Sand, decided to dedicate this room to you guys so we have a safe place to help you discover the full extent of your powers." She explains, leading me to the other side of the concrete room with blue and red pads on the floor.

I automatically translate her last statement into; _the president decided to train you separately because she thinks you'll kill somebody we actually care about. If you all die, we have so much less to worry about._

She glances around until she sees somebody else. "Seraph," she calls to a girl who appears to be a little older than me, "can you show Muscosa around?" I think about telling her I go by my middle name but I don't get the chance to because a dirty blonde girl is standing in front of me.

"No problem," she smiles and holds out her hand. "I'm Seraph, but all my friends call me Sara."

I ignore her hand. "I'm Muscosa but I go by Rouge."

"Thought you looked familiar, you're the one with the bond thing, right?" She asks.

I stare at her for a second before nodding slowly.

She cracks a smile, "don't worry, all of us here are self-conscious. You and I, well, we don't have it nearly as bad as Orsin," she nods over toward a boy with his back turned to us. "He's part snake. He has the tongue, weird teeth, and his nose is a little strange."

I look her over, not seeing anything out of the ordinary I ask; "So, what about you?"

"Same as you, sister," she turns around so I could see snowy white wings on her back over her shirt which she's cut so it was actually possible. "Just I don't control fire, sadly. I wish I did, but I can only teleport short distances and move small objects with my mind. Wish I got black feathers, though, I mean, white's okay, but now everybody expects me to be the sweet little angel."

"Why did they change you?" I ask in pure curiosity. She really doesn't look like she could be from the Capitol; she has no change in hair color, eye color, or other visible alteration.

"I was from district seven, the mayor's daughter, and my parents thought it would be a great opportunity to see the Capitol. But they didn't know about the mutation they planned. I don't blame them." She says, "anyway, you get the not-so-grand tour. We basically work on the training by ourselves or with friends. Chances are, you'll be assigned a partner soon."

"Who would I be paired up with?" I ask nervously, don't let it be some idiot. Please don't . . .

She considers my question thoughtfully. "Well I guess it depends. Since you have the bond thing, they'll probably put you with someone temporarily until you're able to work with that guy you're bonded with. Then, if you hate him, I'm pretty sure you're screwed, because we normally pair people up with the other we'd be relying on in battle."

"Makes sense."


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's note: Please read and review and enjoy! I'm sorry the last two chapters took so long to get up, but I was just really busy. Oh, and the last chapter was a bit like a filler, I needed it all to happen, but it was pretty boring, so, before you guys get too bored, here's the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.**

**Chapter 16; **_in which you might get a little confused, there are very strange things, and . . . did you guess it? People!_

I want to scream. Nothing's going right, but what is right? What if right is really wrong? Could what seems right be wrong? This is all so confusing, nothing is right, I'm just confusing myself.

I want to die. Nothing's left that really matters, is there? Mom seems ever more distant, Haymitch has gotten way too full of himself, and I don't trust anyone else with anything. No one except the cat, and even when I'm talking to her I don't tell her much. What if someone can understand animal thoughts or language? There's nobody left to turn to.

The pain has been growing. No matter how horrible it gets I just don't die. How am I still alive? I shouldn't be alive. At one point my heart actually stopped.

How long has it been? At least a week but they refuse to tell me. They don't care. I still do all my schoolwork in classrooms; I still train with the others like me. I still dislike Casey, but I put up with him because if I don't I'll get in trouble, but how much more trouble could I possibly be in?

Failed the test in language arts, but what does it matter. I can barely think straight, anyway. Too worried about other things, and by other things I mean Jayden. I need him here, and, as I realized recently, not just because of the bond, I need him here because he's the only person willing to listen to me, he's also the only one who seems to care if I'm hurt or not.

What was that noise? Somebody's behind me. No, something's to my left. I turn and find only the air. A high pitched noise keeps going off, lower monotones stopping then going off again, notes mixing in an unfamiliar melody. No, not a melody, alarms. What kind of alarms? I follow the mob of people. I turn to one person to ask what's going on but they have what look like twenty eyes and lips that are cut all the way back to their ears.

Voices, too many voices, what's going on? I look to another person who looks like he's crying blood. Somebody or something grabs me from behind and I fight against whoever it is. Time slows down, but the person holding onto me doesn't let go. Then I'm on the ground. I hear the person shout something and there are others running in different direction. So many people, so many . . . I'll wake up, this is a nightmare. It has to be, this can't be real.

S_cream, _my brain tells me. _Open your mouth and scream as loud as you can. _But I can't. My throat's too tense to make any sound at all.

Was that a dove? A white bird flies over my head only to be grabbed by a large man. I'm being half carried, half dragged off and no matter how hard I fight whoever's holding onto me won't let go.

There's confusion and tension in the air, I can't breathe. Why can't I breathe? I shut my eyes as tightly as I can, trying to focus only on getting oxygen into my lungs.

I lost consciousness only seconds later.

**Chapter 16; **_in which you might get a little confused, there are very strange things, and . . . did you guess it? People!_

I want to scream. Nothing's going right, but what is right? What if right is really wrong? Could what seems right be wrong? This is all so confusing, nothing is right, I'm just confusing myself.

I want to die. Nothing's left that really matters, is there? Mom seems ever more distant, Haymitch has gotten way too full of himself, and I don't trust anyone else with anything. No one except the cat, and even when I'm talking to her I don't tell her much. What if someone can understand animal thoughts or language? There's nobody left to turn to.

The pain has been growing. No matter how horrible it gets I just don't die. How am I still alive? I shouldn't be alive. At one point my heart actually stopped.

How long has it been? At least a week but they refuse to tell me. They don't care. I still do all my schoolwork in classrooms; I still train with the others like me. I still dislike Casey, but I put up with him because if I don't I'll get in trouble, but how much more trouble could I possibly be in?

Failed the test in language arts, but what does it matter. I can barely think straight, anyway. Too worried about other things, and by other things I mean Jayden. I need him here, and, as I realized recently, not just because of the bond, I need him here because he's the only person willing to listen to me, he's also the only one who seems to care if I'm hurt or not.

What was that noise? Somebody's behind me. No, something's to my left. I turn and find only the air. A high pitched noise keeps going off, lower monotones stopping then going off again, notes mixing in an unfamiliar melody. No, not a melody, alarms. What kind of alarms? I follow the mob of people. I turn to one person to ask what's going on but they have what look like twenty eyes and lips that are cut all the way back to their ears.

Voices, too many voices, what's going on? I look to another person who looks like he's crying blood. Somebody or something grabs me from behind and I fight against whoever it is. Time slows down, but the person holding onto me doesn't let go. Then I'm on the ground. I hear the person shout something and there are others running in different direction. So many people, so many . . . I'll wake up, this is a nightmare. It has to be, this can't be real.

S_cream, _my brain tells me. _Open your mouth and scream as loud as you can. _But I can't. My throat's too tense to make any sound at all.

Was that a dove? A white bird flies over my head only to be grabbed by a large man. I'm being half carried, half dragged off and no matter how hard I fight whoever's holding onto me won't let go.

There's confusion and tension in the air, I can't breathe. Why can't I breathe? I shut my eyes as tightly as I can, trying to focus only on getting oxygen into my lungs.

I lost consciousness only seconds later.


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry I haven't posted this before, but I had horrible writer's block. But I'm back now.  
>Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games or anything like that, you all know what I mean.<strong>

**Chapter 17; **_in which there are weapons, threats, and a white room._

I open my eyes to bright lights and a single voice. "Listen, I don't like you, and pretty soon you really won't like me." He holds a knife up so I can see it from where I'm restrained on a cold, metal table. "Would you like to tell me anything?"

The knife is partially covered with another person's dried blood. "I don't know anything," I say shakily.

"Be honest with me now, kid, I have permission to do all but kill you." He growls menacingly, holding a knife to my throat. "What's going on? What are the rebels planning?"

"I don't know," I say, wincing as he starts to press down on my throat, "I swear, they didn't tell me anything! They think the Capitol knows what the mutation does but nobody there can figure it out, that's all I know!" Not really, but that's all I'm going to tell him.

He pulls the knife away from my throat and considers, "I'll talk to you later." He leaves.

I take a deep breath and try to focus on my surroundings. There's a wall to my left filled with weapons of all kinds. Hundreds of knives, axes, guns, weapons that I have no name for, and bows and arrows. If I could just get off this table I could grab that bow and take down any guard in my path. I could find Jayden and my dad and we could get out of here.

I can't see whatever is behind me and next to me is a door, just a door. The last wall is full of weapons too as far as I can see. I twist so I can see the restraints on my wrists. They're thick metal, too strong to be able to get out of on my own.

Hopelessness overwhelms me. There's no way out of here, escape is impossible. I'm going to be killed eventually, but only after I suffer, because seeing me bound and broken under her control will give the president such joy.

I don't remember how long it was before I heard the heavy metal door open and a woman who looks to be in her early- to mid-thirties comes in, clicking her tongue, she walks behind me to the part of the room I couldn't see while she talks to herself. "Bunch-a low-life ingrates if ya ask me, unable to clean up their own mess. Wouldn't 'ave ta lock any-a ya up if they'd put their shit away." I hear her say as a loud click fills the room and the Wall of Weapons is covered by a huge metal shield, so even if I got out I wouldn't be able to take one. "Alright, dear, there are guards everywhere; they won't bug ya if ya don't bug 'em. Clear enough?"

"I-I guess," I say, unsurely.

She sighs, "Those men, always tryin' ta be scarin' the answers outta ya, ought-a fire the lot-o 'em. No reason ta be 'fraid a me. I won' hurt ya. Not unless ya give me somethin' ta be mad about." She says as another loud click fills the room and the restraints click open, she comes over and helps me up. "So many 'ave died already, and fer what? Not a one of 'em was 'igh enough rank ta 'ave Rebel secrets, none 'ad information, least not the stuff we need."

"Who was killed?" I ask, praying she doesn't tell me Jayden or my father is dead.

She shakes her head, "I don' know many names, but if they were yer kind, they're prob'ly still 'live an' breathin'. You're worth a lot ta these people. Cost over a trillion dollars ta create tha lot-a ya, prob'ly more, ya know." She studies me for a second, "Why ya so interested?"

"One of my friends disappeared a few weeks ago, just wondering if he might be here." I respond.

She sighs, "The boy's prob'ly fine; jus' worry 'bout ya-self."

"You're right, thank you," I say, "but why are you not trying to kill me? You work for the Capitol don't you?"

She smiles, "Why do ya assume that? I'm not wearin' much-a any uniform." I take a short time to examine her. She has light, orange hair that's been hastily pulled back into a bun, warm brown eyes, a plump figure, and she's wearing a pretty dress that appears to have been handmade along with a gold chain that disappears below the neckline of her dress.

"I don't know, I guess you're just here, and that's why." I shrug, "really, I guess you do seem a little out of place in the sea of white uniforms around here."

"I didn' expect you'd know who I am. I'm Margaret; I'm not tha enemy 'ere. I represent yer lot an', when things get a bit too risky, help ya out. I'm your ticket out ah here, my dear girl, fer now, ya jus' 'ang in there till we can get the rest-a yer group outta here." Maybe she's telling the truth, and if she is it'd be best to stay on her good side.

I take a deep breath, "Do you know if my father is still alive?"

"Now that I can't 'ell ya right now; I can try an' find out though, if it'll ease yer mind." She says smiling. "Now listen, yer only chance a-stayin' 'live 'round 'ere'll be ta play 'long with tha Capital. You'd be jus' fine then if ya do." She leads me to a small, white room which she closes and locks.

The room is featureless, white concrete on the walls, floor, and ceiling. There's nothing else, no escape.

There's no hope.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello everybody, I'm so, _so _sorry it's been so long. I apologize that this chapter is so short, I wanted to get it posted as soon as possible because it's been so long. I hope to be able to post again soon. If there are any grammer errors, it might be because I didn't get anybody to review this chapter because, as I stated before, I wanted to get it posted ASAP. Also, I really appreciate the reviews, they completely make my day, so please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: I, as it has been for the past seventeen chapters, do not own the Hunger Games.**

**Chapter 18**

I search the walls for any sign of weakness in the concrete, but no matter how hard I look, I can't find anything. The only good thing that has come of this is a lessening of the pain. Not only doesn't it hurt as much, but I feel physically stronger.

The door opens and a woman I recognize from pictures steps in. "Paylor," I say tiredly. I would punch her in the face, but I know better than to do that, there are probably hundreds of peacekeepers outside the door, waiting to shoot me without the slightest hesitation.

"Muscosa," she says with a tense nod. "You do realize the Hunger Games have not been called off even with your . . . rebellious attitude."

"Of course not," I say, stepping up, "I don't believe anybody expected you would be capable of such a kind act." Apparently I'm braver than I thought I was. Either that or I'm dumber than I thought I was. "So, when I'm I being taken to the Capitol again?"

She examines me coldly, "Whenever the peacekeepers are here to escort you to the train station. It should be any second now. Ah, yes, here they are. Come quickly and quietly, they won't administer force unless it's absolutely necessary."

I roll my eyes as the door opens and I'm handcuffed before they lead me out to the train. As soon as I'm out I turn around and kick one of the two peacekeepers before I slip behind the other and get the chain around his neck. "Where are the others?" I growl.

"I'll never tell you," he breathes.

"Whatever you say," I pull the chain back farther against his throat as he starts to struggle. I hold it there until I feel his body go limp. I know very well that he's not dead, but the other has started to run to get back-up.

I take a pistol from the unconscious peacekeeper's belt and aim at the other. I fire, managing somehow to hit whoever it was in the head. I know the armor covering most of their bodies stopped it from killing him, but he should stay unconscious for a while, or at least stunned. I focus on the other instead, I kick him until he wakes up before I kneel down, remove his helmet, and hold the gun to his temple. "You're going to help me get out of here or I'll shoot you."

"Fine," He growls grudgingly.

I look him over and see a small set of keys on his belt. "Unlock the handcuffs," I breathe. When he resists I push the barrel of the gun back up against his temple, "Now." I demand.

He slowly reaches down and takes the keys. He finds the right one and waits a second before he unlocks one side, then the other.

I work the bigger gun off his shoulder with my hand that isn't holding the pistol to his head and pull it onto my own. I continue to search him for weapons and come up with a knife which I slip into my belt. "Where are the others?"

"They're spread out over the building. I think the Mutts are all in the basement." He's at least a little scared, but deep in my soul, I know I'd never kill him. I could never pull the trigger. It's the same reason I didn't kill Jayden in the Arena, I wasn't able to let go of the bowstring and kill him. I can't end a person's life.

"Get up," I growl, pulling him up mostly on my own with my free hand. I keep the gun to his head as I push him back inside. There are other guards inside, and at first I think I'm doomed. Well, at least I tried-

"Don't shoot, she's a Mutt. You shoot her and the President will have you killed." The peacekeeper I've got with a gun to his head tells the others. "The situation is all under control."

They look unsure, but they don't move as he enters a pass code to the elevator on the side of the room. "I have no idea what you're trying, but I'll tell you now; it _won't_ work." I breathe.

"Do you have this thought through at all?" He responds tiredly.

Just then the doors open again revealing the same long hallway that I had been led down, either that or an exact replica. I push him out to the first door, "Unlock it," I growl, annoyed. This is taking too long. I don't have time to go down the whole row one-by-one checking. And I definitely can't sneak so many people out.

He takes out the key and opens the door. There's a younger girl, just a little younger than me, standing there. I have no idea what to do or say, but the peacekeeper seems to. "Wait by the elevator and stay silent." He says evenly before he goes on to the next one.

"Wait, what are you doing?" I ask, slightly annoyed, but also surprised.

"Helping you, kid," he says, unlocking the door. "This'll take forever the way you're doing it. "Elevator, now, and stay silent." He tells the kid. "Take the key and get the other side, I'll use the code." He hands me the key ring and I immediately decide it would be a lot faster this way, but I watch my back.

The first three are all kids I don't know, then Seraph. "Rouge," she breathes, "Are you-"

"No time, just go wait silently by the elevator over there. Keep the little kids quiet too, okay?" I whisper quickly, and she nods in response. One more I don't know, then Casey, whose greeting I blow off with my general 'Wait by the elevator' speech. The next one is empty so I almost don't bother checking the last one, but I do anyway and find the one person I had really been looking for. "Jayden," I breathe just before I hand him the bigger gun. "The peacekeeper over there is helping for some reason. I don't trust him, watch out." The peacekeeper finishes on his side just a little after I do.

"We need to get them all to the top floor, there are about ten there. Let's say five per elevator." He says evenly.

I take a deep breath. "Alright, I want kids in the first with Seraph and second with Jayden. You two need to make sure they stay quiet and defend them if you need to." I hate separating from Jayden again so soon, but I won't leave Casey in charge of a bunch of little kids. "The second one will be the rest. Stay right outside the elevator when you get there." I turn to the peacekeeper, "What's up there?"

He answers immediately, "Aircraft hangar, I have a friend in here who can fly one. I can too."

"Alright, first group, go," I say quickly as the elevator arrives. I turn back to the peacekeeper, "How many other people do you have in this compound?"

"I don't know, possibly up to twenty five." He says, unsure. "We can't rescue all of them."

I take a deep breath, "Then we'll just rescue most of them." He looks ready to protest when I pull out the pistol again. "Don't make me pull the trigger."

He looks at me for a second then sighs, "Fine. You go up with the second group and I'll get the others." When I roll my eyes he explains, "If you come with me, the other guards will know something's up. You go up to the top floor and find one of the peacekeepers on duty, give him this" – he hands me an identification card which I take and tuck into my pocket – "Hurry, I'm sure somebody's called in back-up. If you don't get moving _now_ you probably won't make it out."

Hesitantly, I turn around and follow the group into the elevator.


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's note: I know this is a really short chapter, but it's how I wanted to end this Fanfiction. That's right, guys. This is the end of this on. But don't you fret, I'm working on another right now (Well, not literally, but I will be soon). I hope you all have enjoyed this story and I hope you read my next one. Please read and review becase I love hearing from you all.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, but I haven't for eighteen chapters now, so how would that change so suddenly? ;P**

**Chapter 19, **_in which it all ends_

When we reach the top we find peacekeepers surrounding the current group, guns pointed right at them. When they see us, a few turn around and some change their aim to us. "What do we do now?" Jayden asks softly in my ear.

I sigh, "Only thing we can do; fight."

"And how exactly do we do that?" He asks.

I shrug, unsure of exactly how we could get out of here alive. "No idea," I admit, "You?"

He shakes his head, "Nothing comes to mind."

They shoot first and kill a young girl somewhere off to my left. People attack; most of the other Mutts don't know how to use their powers which is unfortunate because that means they don't have much to use other than their fists and feet. It really doesn't look good for us.

I'm too afraid to shoot anybody because the two groups are mixed so tightly. Jayden's abandoned his gun and is fighting with a peacekeeper who seems to have the advantage in the fight. Half the Mutts are already dead and the fight seems hopeless. I'm tackled then by one who knocks me down. I manage to try and get out from under him but he grabs my arm and pulls me back under him.

"Give up now and I won't kill you." He growls. I take a deep breath before I spit in his face. He grabs my neck and pries the pistol out of my hand, shooting a hole in the ground beside him in the process and holds it to my temple, "One more chance. Give up or I'll shoot."

"Never," I breathe and the last thing I hear is the sound of the gun going off and the blinding pain as it pierces my skull and hits my brain.

**And she died.**


End file.
